Enigma
by RoseMatoBird
Summary: Gabby and Caliegh have always been different, despite being twins. But 5 years of being apart from each other allowed them to fully change into, almost, completely different people. Reuniting at the infamous Hetalia Academy, they're not pleased to find how their twin has turned out. Still, they're forced back together by one mutual thing in their new lives: complicated romance.
1. Prologue

**_Prologue_**

**_Gabby's POV_**

This was wrong.

There was no way in hell this could be right. I knew the place was pretty exclusive, but this was extraordinary.

Yet when I triple-checked the address I'd scribbled down, and looked at the GPS screen for about the tenth time, I acknowledged that this was right. Not to mention there was a huge sign outside the even huger building that read _"WORLD ACADEMY." _If I had a dollar for every racist joke my old man had made about who he expected to be my classmates...

"Got everything, Princess?" Speak of the Devil and he shall appear. I felt my heart give a little ping at the gruff sound of my not-so-talkative father's voice. The last time he called me "Princess" had been at my sixth grade graduation, in front of all my friends. They laughed, I flushed, and I told him never to call me that again. So he didn't. Until now. And for whatever reason, it felt real nice.

I glanced around at all the luggage I'd just finished tugging out of the car. "Uh huh, looks like it. …..I love you, Dad." It felt weird to be saying that sincerely instead of when I wanted something. Just to make the moment all the more mushy, I set down my suitcase and stood on my toes to give him a hug (even though I'm 5 foot 6 and a half, my dad's a pretty tall dude). He blinked, awkwardly hugging me back while patting my head of blonde hair and muttering "Love you, too."

I hesitantly slid my arms off his neck, taking a step back and suddenly feeling a whole lot younger than 16. I mean, I wasn't gonna see the man who had raised me until Christmas, _if _I was able to visit home then. My dad's generally mellow, yet I could detect sorrow in the blue eyes of his that were so identical to mine. I could see why: now all of his kids were no longer under his roof, and he hadn't even expected me to go off to college for another few years. Well, World Academy isn't a college. But you catch my drift.

As I pressed a quick kiss to my dad's bristly cheek, I almost wanted to throw all my luggage back in the pickup and go back to New Jersey with him. But that was ridiculous. We'd spent too much time and money into sending me to this top-rate, multicultural school for me to turn back now. Everything started to blur as the time remaining with my dad started decreasing to mere seconds. I was vaguely aware of assuring him I'd text Joey about my arrival later, and the vision of him climbing back into his truck was about as clear as my memory of being born. I intended to wave at him until he was out of sight, but my bags were weighing me down. So I sucked it up and, shaking slightly, dragged myself into the building of World Academy.

You're probably wondering who I am. My name's Gabby Bibus. Call me Gabrielle and I'll kick you where it counts. Call me _Gabriela _and you can consider yourself spayed/neutered. I'm not much to look at: a tad bit overweight (though I still manage to wear bikinis just fine in the summer) with blue eyes behind a pair of glasses and yellow-blonde hair that falls in waves down to about my shoulders even when I bother to straighten it. Actually, I'm not much in general. But I qualified for the most desired academy in the world, so I must be worth _something._

Joey, whom I already mentioned, is my older brother by 4 years. He's currently in his third year of college, though seeing as we haven't really been close since I was about 11, that doesn't affect me all that much. I never thought of him as it, but Joey's only my _half _brother. See, my dad had a little girlyfriend, and you know how the Birds and the Bees goes.

The part that always pisses me off is that when my dad proposed after Joey was born, the little bitch _denied _him. Wanna know why? Because he was a farmer, and she was more of a city gal. So she left him to raise Joey alone. It was real hard on my dad for a few years, until my mom came into the picture.

Let me get this one thing straight: I hate my mother.

I know you're gonna be all like "Oh, she's your mommy, you HAVE to love her!" No. I don't. I'll get into why that is later. But for now, just keep that in mind. _I. Hate. My. Mother._

Her relationship with my dad is really all a big scandal. She gave him two lovely little blonde baby girls, they seemed happily in love, and as far as I'd been told, they got married. Here's the part that never made sense until a few years ago: Joshua. I like Josh; he's a cool kid. I'd always been told that he was my full sibling. We've got the same blonde hair, same blue eyes… In fact, even though he's a LOT shorter than me, I wouldn't be all that surprised if we were twins.

So the truth behind his existence was a _huge _shocker.

My dearest mommy told my dad that Josh was his son. Makes sense, right? Seeing as they're married and all? Ha. Plot twist: _they weren't married. _They just told people they were and bought the rings they always wear at Wal-Mart. As it turns out, Mother-of-the-Year had a hot one-night stand with some guy she'd dated in high school, and BAM! Josh. I was about 9 when my parents' fighting started surfacing from under the rug, I realized they actually hated each other's guts, and my mother confessed that she had a different baby daddy.

I was 10 or 11 when it happened. My parents couldn't divorce, seeing as they weren't really married, so they just ripped off their rings and called it quits. Ma took Josh and… someone else way down to Texas; I stayed on Dad's farm in New Jersey with him and Joey.

Guess what, it all gets _better_! While in Texas, Mom ther ran back into her ex- Josh's dad. I don't even know the guy's name, but I should technically be calling him Daddy Number Two, because he married my mother. And just 3 years ago, she had another kiddo with him.

Best part is, nobody ever told me this. I just happened to accidentally log onto… someone's email address instead of my own, snoop through some things, and find out I have a baby half-sister named Ansley.

So there's my life in a nutshell. A pretty large nutshell, but trust me, there's a hellova lot missing. While you digest all that, I'll tell you how it went down when I got inside the school.

The hallways here could eat the hallways at my old high school as an appetizer. I half expected it to look kind of prison-ish on the inside, but damn, it was _phenomenal. _I admit it was a little terrifying, though, because it was a beautiful day on a weekend so most students were outside or sleeping in, leaving the building basically empty. I navigated my way to the main office like I was instructed to do in a welcome letter, and was greeted by an Asian dude that looked to be about 50. He introduced himself as the principal, and told some lady that looked to be in her very early twenties to show me to my dorm.

"Your name is Gabrielle?" she confirmed.

"I go by Gabby," I corrected her, trying hard not to flinch.

"Alright, Gabby. My name's Elizaveta. I'm a counselor here," she informed me with a smile and a heavy Hungarian accent. I returned her grin, but was practically writhing on the inside. It was almost like counselors had a sixth sense for sniffing out the troubled. She seemed very nice, but I didn't intend on paying her any required visits anytime soon.

She assured me that I'd love it here while I told her a few things about my old school until we reached the dorms. "This is your key," she told me, holding it up so I can see it before unlocking a door off to the left. I nodded with a quiet "thanks," taking the rest of my bags from her after she opened the door and giving her one last smile.

I turned to the room that'd belong to me for the next couple years, expecting it to be empty except for maybe a bed and a drawer…. Instead, I found that there were _two _beds in the room, one that was naked and the other that was neatly made. A music stand stood at the foot of that bed, with a few things like a fancy porcelain fairy doll and an alarm clock sat on a table to the right of it. Sitting on that bed was a girl with shoulder length, dirty blonde hair, her eyes closed as she played an invisible piano with iPod headphones in her ears.

I froze on the spot, almost hoping I would stay invisible for at least the next few minutes. You know how I said my mom gave my dad _two _little blonde girls? And that I keep referring to "someone"? Well. This was that someone. I knew she'd be here; half of me was dying to stumble across her, the other half wanted to bolt from the room and never come back.

This girl… This was Caliegh Higgins: my twin sister whom I hadn't seen since our fabulous mother took her and Josh away 5-and-a-half years ago. Caliegh was my best friend. My big sister (despite being shorter than me). My other half. My soul mate in a no-homo way. …My arch-rival.

My worst enemy.

* * *

**~Author's Note~**

OH LORD, WHY. WHY ARE WE UNABLE TO CONTROL OURSELVES FROM STARTING EVEN MORE STORIES. _What have you done._ Don't put ALL the blame on me... _Lo siento. :3_  
Anyway... Here's the deal. Caliegh and Gabby are not OCs; they're US. See, we're such dorky Hetalia fans that we do these role plays where older versions of ourselves attend World Academy, at which none of the people are countries. This story is based off of our favorite one that we EVER did.  
_We're also not really sisters, but people have said many times that we could be. Our siblings in this are our actual siblings._ Though in real life, they aren't our HALF siblings. Plus in truth, I'm WAAAAAAY closer to my mom than my dad. So although the names & ages of our siblings and parents are legitimate, they're like, fake._ Our personalities are also just a little...changed._ JUST a little though. I tried to make mine as real as possible... My physical description is real, and the way I think and talk in this is about 99% legit. _The way I think in this is also true, though some of the things I actually say I would only say in my head. My physical description is also real. Including the little fact that I'm super short. XD_ Your hair isn't that long anymore, though. _IT WILL BE WHEN I'M 16._ SO IT'S FINE.  
Anyway. Please don't hate on this, we realize how ridiculous it is to have a story about ourselves in a Hetalia world. But this is more for our personal entertainment, and hopefully you can enjoy it too.

-67OtakuGirl24X3  
_-KiwiFruit07_


	2. Chapter 1

**_Chapter One_**

**_Caliegh's POV_**

I opened one eye when I noticed someone was standing in the doorway. I nearly froze in shock, slowly hitting the pause button on my iPod. I pulled the headphones out, still staring at my twin sister, Gabby. No way was this happening. After five and a half years, we magically stumble across each other at a high-class, international boarding school?

"Gabby," I muttered under my breath. Before I knew it I had raced from my place and the bed and flung my arms around her neck. "It has been so long." Her arms hung loosely at her side for a moment as if she was debating in her head whether to hug me back or not. She hesitantly hugged me back. I sure hoped I wasn't getting this wrong, and she was simply another person…

Hah. As if. I'm pretty positive no one looks as much like me as she does.

Gabby drug one of her suitcases to her empty bed, and I admit; my heart filled with joy to see that side of the room would no longer be ghostly and unoccupied. She stayed silent. What was wrong with the girl? Had she gone mute or something? …Okay, I shouldn't think like that. That just made newfound worry seep into my veins, but then she looked up at me.

"Long time, no see." Relief flooded through me. Okay, she wasn't mute. I smiled, sitting on the end of my bed.

"Five years." She began to unpack her things, slipping a couple of the uniform dresses out and shoving them into her drawer. Without folding them.

"It's been much too long, sissy dearest." I cringed at "sissy". Oh, gosh. She was still on that? "You still don't like that?" She said at the same time I said, "Don't call me that." We kind of glanced at each other, then burst out laughing. Ah, just like old times. I missed saying things like that at the same time, practically reading each other's minds. I remembered when we were little, we had always played the whole "jinx" game, but we got so into it that no one would win because we were too good at it.

Remembering our childhood just made me remember another small fact: Gabby was living with our dad. Who, no offense or anything, wasn't that wealthy. How did she afford this school? Last I checked, they didn't have $43,000 to just spend. "So how're you here?" I asked. Gabby waved her hand.

"Oh, you know, Dad drove me here." I lightly smacked her on the arm.

"No, I mean…" I lowered my voice. "How did you afford this?" Gabby froze while unpacking her things.

"Ah…Grandma chipped in, you know…" She chuckled nervously. "How'd you afford it?" I'm not even sure why she asked. Perhaps to be polite?

"Well, funny story. During one of my concerts, apparently the music director from this school had heard me. So after I performed, he had come up to me, introduced himself as Roderich , then announced that he was giving me a full scholarship to attend this school. Of course, before I could reject him, our mother dearest accepted. And here I am." Gabby scowled slightly, muttering something about "always being more talented". So she wasn't even going to attempt to feel happy for me? I see how it is.

When I looked back up at her, she was stripping herself of her shirt with the uniform blouse slung in the crook of her elbow. I glanced away quickly. "What are you doing." I asked, stated more like a phrase than a question.

"Trying on my uniform. Dad likes to buy all my clothes several sizes too small so I don't feel like a total fatass." She claimed. I frowned.

"That's a terrible system. I'd much rather have clothes too big," I said, not really meaning to say it out loud. Oops. She gave me somewhat of a death glare, flinging her pants at me.

"Take those. I bet they're too big on you."

"Yeah, I bet they are." I said, putting the jeans aside (after folding them into a neat little square). I glanced back up at her. Good, she was fully clothed. She stepped in front of a full-length mirror, smiling slightly.

"You know, this is actually kinda cute." She muttered. I'd rather wear the pants, but sadly the girls were required to wear the skirts. I put my ear buds back in my ears, but as soon as I did more clothes were flung at my head. "You try yours on!" I rolled my eyes, once again ditching my iPod. I shuffled over to the dorm's bathroom, hugging the cloth to my chest. "Wait, where are you going?"

"The bathroom."

"Why?"

"To…change…?" I said, as if it was obvious. However, she looked at me like I was insane. "What, you think I'm going to change in front of someone?! I think not!" I said, my voice rising in pitch slightly as I rushed into the bathroom. My gosh…what was she thinking? That I was about to expose myself to her? No, thank you. I don't even let the cat in my room when I change. Much less a person.

For some reason, that irked me. I never liked showing my legs (hence why I wanted to wear the pants) and I didn't enjoy wearing short sleeves, either. I quickly changed into the uniform, then came out of the bathroom, feeling slightly uncomfortable in the short skirt. I kept tugging at the hem as if doing so would make it longer. Gabby clapped in admiration, but then her smile faltered.

"You always do make these things look better than I do…" I felt a blush rise to my face, yet I still managed to glare at her.

"No, no I do not." I tugged my jeans back on underneath my skirt, then shimmied out of that so I was back in regular clothes. I sat back on my bed, grabbing my music folder in the process. I began to shuffle through the sheet music, organizing it. I sighed inwardly. I already missed my grand piano back home, the dark wood standing out against the brilliantly white walls.

I was concentrating so much that I didn't realize Gabby had picked up her guitar case, only to stumble over the empty suitcase on the floor and drop her whole book. I watched her with mild interest as she hurriedly gathered the music, shoving them back in the folder and putting the case as well as the folder in the closet that I no longer had to myself. She looked up at me, her face flushed.

"Please don't tell me you saw the cover," She said.

"Guitar, beginner, level two." I said, expressionless. Gabby groaned. "What?"

"I had hoped you didn't. I mean, I'm at so low of a level and you're a little virtuoso on every instrument out there…"

"Only violin and piano." She groaned again.

"See! More than I can do! I'm a freakin' untalented-"

"No you aren't. I'm not going to judge you based on your musical capability." She sat on her own bed, muttering, "Yeah, right." I didn't bother respond to that. Instead I changed the subject. "Hey…we should go check out the cafeteria. I hear it's really big."

"Thank god. I'm starving!" She said, flinging open the door. I followed her, locking the door behind me. Didn't want any idiots sneaking in and going through my stuff. "Now which way is it?" I pocketed my key and stepped in front of her, leading the way. Alright, I admit. I didn't exactly know which way to go. But hey, I could eventually find the café, right?

We must've strolled around the halls forever, but eventually I had caught the smell of food drifting through the air, and I just followed my nose. I could tell Gabby was starving, because the look on her face when we found the café was priceless. She ran in ahead of me and stopped dead in her tracks; there were a lot of people at this school.

"Where the heck are we supposed to sit?! There isn't an empty table!" I complained loudly. She glanced at me.

"By socializing, sissy!" She skipped around the cafeteria for a bit, but there wasn't really an opportunity for us to walk up to someone and talk to them.

"Ooh, hola, new chicas!" I turned around. Why hello, opportunity.

* * *

**~Author's Note~**  
I forgot to mention in the first note how much EFFORT we put into naming this damn thing. "Our Hetalia Academy" was way too lame, so we spent a good like, 10 minutes brainstorming something that worked. _And we finally had enough and searched for words on Google. XD_ I found "enigma," which meant "a person that is mysterious, puzzling, or difficult to understand." _It's hard to explain this early in the story, but it's kinda because we don't really understand each other anymore._  
So, yah. Hope you enjoyed this chapter, which happens to be the first one written by KiwiFruit07. :3 _*bows*_ Naturally we write our own POVs. _I'll give you a turtle if you can guess who the person is at the end. XD_

_-KiwiFruit07_  
-67OtakuGirl24X3


	3. Chapter 2

**_Chapter Two_**

**_Gabby's POV_**

I was still pretty dazed about the whole being-reunited-with-my-twin-sister thing. What _really _caught me, though, was that she HUGGED me. That'd be like the king of England sailing across the sea just to hug a few colonists back in the 16th century. (Haha. American similes.)

Now here I was in the ginormous cafeteria, approached by a green-eyed Spaniard.

My heart quite possibly skipped a beat as he flashed an almost goofy grin at my sister and me. His teeth were _so white _against his tan skin; keep in mind that I've always seemed to find boys with a tan drop dead attractive. His eyes were a _gorgeous _shade of emerald green… and he was flanked by 2 even gorgeous_er _guys.

The one I noticed first was really… different. A permanent-looking smirk was evident on his pale face, a pair of red- yes, _red- _eyes set above it. Above _them _was a head of platinum blonde, nearly silver, hair. It didn't take long to conclude he was albino. Most albino people I had seen, either online or in person, had looked frail and kind of creepy. This guy, however, was damn muscular- I wouldn't be surprised if he spent hours in the gym. Not to mention he was kind of- I'm not gonna lie to you- _hot._

"_Bonjour, jolie mademoiselle." _I jumped ever-so-slightly as the third guy spoke up in smooth French. I actually glanced around to see who else he could have been addressing, trying to find someone who actually was a "_jolie mademoiselle" _("pretty miss," for you non-French speakers). But no: his crystal blue eyes were looking right at me.

"Erm… _Tu parles le français?" _I was suddenly glad to be in French II, though it did take some effort to think back to one of my first units in middle school.

The third guy- his hair was as wavy and blonde as mine, and almost the same length, plus he actually had a stubble of facial hair on his chin- blinked, obviously taken off guard, then smiled slightly. "_Oui. Et toi?"_

_"Un peu…" _I answered truthfully. I was FAR from being a fluent speaker.

"_Comment t'appelles-tu?"_

_"_Gabby. _Enchanté."_

A smirk similar to the albino guy's appeared on the French boy/man/person's face. I barely acknowledged Caliegh murmur something about having no idea what we were saying. "Same to you."

I blinked a few times, feeling my face heat up in embarrassment. "Oh, thank god, you speak English."

The Frenchie laughed- one of those stereotypical French _"onhonhon" _type of things. How sexy. "I'm Francis, these are my friends Gilbert and Antonio." (I think we all know how the French accent goes, so I'm gonna save myself some trouble and _not _type it out.) The guys to his left both waved at us, Antonio happily and Gilbert almost flirtatiously.

"Why don't you come sit with us?" Gilbert offered in a relevant German accent (again, we all know they make a V sound instead of W, so just hear it in your head). I could just tell, though, that he wasn't gonna take "no" for an answer.

Not that I was gonna turn down 3 super cute guys asking us to sit with them. I've had a handful guy friends in the past few years, but we'd never been REALLY close and I've certainly never had a boyfriend. Not because I didn't want one, 'cause God did I want one…. I'm just not an attractive person. Unlike my damn sis-

Okay, getting off topic.

I grinned/smirked at Caliegh, and followed the trio over to a not-so-crowded lunch table. Seems like they ruled the place. "SO. What's the pipsqueak's name?" Gilbert asked, sitting heavily on the opposite side of the table as us flanked by the other two guys. He leaned both elbows on the table, rested his chin atop the backs of his hands, and quirked an eyebrow in Caliegh's direction as she sat daintily beside me. I had to try my very hardest not to roll my eyes as she smoothed out her skirt; _I _had just slid myself onto the bench with about as much grace as Gilbert.

"_Don't _call me a pipsqueak," Caliegh warned with a glare. _Because that's my job, _I almost said. Instead I just introduced her.

"Caliegh, eh? Hn." Gilbert's gaze darted back and forth between us, almost- there's no other fitting word- hungrily. I tried to swallow back a flattered grin. Guys NEVER checked me out or flirted me up… I was always too much of a tomboy; they'd probably label themselves as fags if they hit on me. Caliegh, on the other hand, was looking quite grumpy. Oh, yeah. She was used to having guys claw at her.

"Where are you from?" Antonio asked brightly, pouring himself a glass of water from a pitcher in the middle of the table.

"New Jersey in America," I answered simultaneously to Caliegh saying "Texas, in the United States."

Francis blinked in bewilderment. "But I thought you two were sisters?"

"Twins, I thought," Antonio chimed in.

"We are," I responded, looking in Antonio's direction. "Our parents are divorced. Now where can I get some grub around here? A fatass gotta eat."

The sympathy washed off of Francis's face and was replaced with bemusement. "_Mon dieu, _you sound like Alfred," he chuckled.

I tilted my head slightly, not actually all that interested. "Who's Alfred?"

"I heard my name!" Damn, and I thought _I _was loud. A guy with baby blue eyes, glasses, a cocky grin, and slick, dirty blonde hair sat halfway on the bench beside me. "Sweet, a newbie! You got a name?"

"Nah, I was created in a lab and given just a number." I returned the guy's grin, unconsciously loving the fact that he hadn't so much as glanced at my sister. "I'm Gabby. You're Alfred?"

"You betcha!" I convinced myself I had only imagined that he winked at me.

"Sorry to cut this short, but I haven't eaten in like, 5 hours. Where do I get some food?"

Alfred smiled even wider, which I didn't think was possible. "I was just about to get some myself. Come with me." He nodded toward the line of people shoveling food onto their trays from a buffet table. Smiling slightly, silently celebrating that he _still _hadn't noticed Caliegh, I got up and followed after him.

The food back at my old school was pretty good- not the inedible slop people usually expect. This, though, was practically _gourmet. _ There was a huge variety, arranged by meats, liquids, fruits, vegetables, snacks, and desserts. I didn't know where to begin, so I just followed Alfred's lead by grabbing a good ol' fashioned American bacon cheeseburger. "So where ya from?" Alfred asked, practically drooling over the mound of food he was piling onto his tray.

"Small town in New Jersey. You?" I didn't even bother to ask what country the guy was from; it was pretty dang obvious.

"The very capital city of the US of A: Washington DC, baby!"

I nodded slightly. "Sweet. You patriotic?"

"Uh, _yes! _You can just call me Mr. America." I could almost see stars and stripes exploding into a backdrop behind him.

"How about Al?"

"That works too."

We both laughed, grabbed our last item, and made our way over to the checkout line. Alfred told me about how few Americans were here while we walked.

It was silent (though not awkwardly so) between us until Alfred's eyes trailed over to my tray. "You hungry?"

A blush swept across my face in a heartbeat. My lunch consisted of the bacon cheeseburger, a cup of applesauce, a basket full of about 10 French fries, a chocolate chip cookie, and a tiny carton of milk. As I glanced around and noticed every other girl only had half a ham sandwich or a basket of fries with a can of juice, I suddenly felt extremely self-conscious. "Yeah, well, a fatass gotta eat."

Alfred stared at me incredulously for a moment. "You're not fat, Gabby."

I decided not to bring up the fact that for my age and height, I was supposed to be 15 pounds lighter. "Yeah, well, you haven't seen me in a bikini." Seriously, self? I really should just keep my mouth shut.

Since I expected Alfred to be kinda freaked out by my awkward response, I was surprised at what he said next. "Maybe I should sometime," he purred. If I was blushing before, now my face was on _fire. _Alfred let out an earsplitting obnoxious laugh which, really, was more contagious than annoying. "Kidding, kidding." I grinned at him half-sheepishly, and punched in my new student ID at the checkout counter to pay for my lunch.

Well. It seemed like I made a new friend- maybe a _few _new friends, actually. Now I just had to keep my fingers crossed that they were gay, because _damn _they were cute…

* * *

**~Author's Note~**  
Heh, I sound like such a whore, checking out all the guys... IT'S NOT MY FAULT I FIND SO MANY ATTRACTIVE._ Well they are attractive. So you're good._  
SO. As I reread this, I realize I sound like such a Mary Sue... But this shit ACTUALLY happens. I DO strongly believe I'm overweight, even though friends tell me otherwise. _Hey, I sound like a Mary Sue as well. Prissy, obsessed with music, "perfect", rich...Which is another altered fact._ Yah, we're both broke in real life. :3 _And I cannot play piano as well as I do in this. I don't take lessons or anything. I'm just in choir._ But you're still really good at it. And btw, I think it was in chapter 1 that it said I play level 2 guitar; yeah. No. I play level ONE. And probably will for the rest of my life. OTL _What does that mean. O.o_ It's supposed to be like... JUST LOOK UP THE ICON ON DEVIANTART.

-67OtakuGirl24X3

_-KiwiFruit07_


	4. Chapter 3

**_Chapter Three_**

**_Caliegh's POV_**

Oh, so she thinks she can just go off and _leave_ me?! Okay, sis. I see how it is. I sat there, silent and awkward, when the Frenchie had spoken. "So you don't speak French, but your sister does?" I glanced at him over my glasses.

"I speak Spanish." I muttered. "_No entiendo francés." _Antonio perked up slightly, grinning at me.

"_Usted habla español!_" He exclaimed. Gilbert, the albino sitting next to me (he had moved when Gabby left), scowled slightly, obviously upset that neither Gabby nor I could speak German.

"_Si," _I responded, casually crossing my legs. Antonio grinned wider, propping his head in his hands. Gilbert's scowl slowly disappeared, and again the smirk was back.

And that's when he made his move.

I froze as his arm slid around my waist, playing with the hem of my short, plaid skirt. I wanted to smack his hand away, but at the same time, I didn't. Francis raised his eyebrows, a smirk playing on _his_ lips. He laughed (with a creepy "onhonhon" sound to it) and said, "Gilly, already?" Antonio cocked his head, the smile fading into a look of confusion.

"Que…?" He muttered. Gilbert tightened his hold on me when I attempted to move away, then grinned down at me. Damn it, his eyes were _gorgeous_…I shook my head, clenching my teeth tightly as his hand moved the hem of my skirt slowly up my thigh. And without thinking, the next thing he knew, he was on the floor of the cafeteria rubbing his arm.

"What the hell, I thought we were friends!" He complained, standing up. I glared at him.

"I just met you, and you're already trying to touch me." I said forcefully. Francis chuckled again.

"That's his job, Caliegh." I looked at him with disgust.

"You're kidding, right?" I hoped he was. And if he wasn't, then I knew for sure that I would not be sitting with these guys again. I wouldn't talk to them. Socialize with them. Nope. No way. I wouldn't.

…Okay, maybe I could be friends with Antonio and Francis, but Gilbert was bad news in my book.

He tried to sit next to me again, but I smirked slightly and propped my feet up on the bench so he couldn't sit. Gilbert glanced at his little friends, then at me, and shoved me in turn so I had nearly fallen off the bench. He sat down, refusing to move. When was Gabby going to get back? I searched the café for her, and I sighed with relief as I saw her make her way over to the table, smiling and laughing along with her new friend. Alfred, I think his name was? She was always so much more outgoing than I was. She seemed to be able to make new friends within just a matter of seconds. Which in that case, she did. They seemed to be talking as if they'd known each other for the longest time.

"I'm back~!" She said in a sing-song voice, sitting on the side of me that wasn't occupied by Gilbert. She froze when she was about to pop a fry in her mouth, raising an eyebrow when she saw me.

"…what." I said, then realized why she was looking at me funny. Gilbert, once again, had his arm wrapped around me and was twirling my hair between his middle and pointer fingers. I was pretty positive you could see the dark aura just surrounding me, because Antonio lowered his head slightly. "Gilbert…stop touching me." And surprisingly, he did. Gabby just kind of sat there.

"What the…" She muttered, slowly munching on a French fry. I shook my head, getting to my feet.

"I'm going to get food. I need to eat." I said, scurrying over to an area with food that looked somewhat pleasant. What sounded good at the moment? Chinese, maybe? No…I needed something sweet. Then I thought, _Oh! Syrup! That's sweet._ So I kind of shuffled around until I found an area where they served all varieties of breakfast foods. Several people were already in line, but it was rather short, so I walked a little faster to get there before anyone else could.

Now this is the part you'll read and think, "Oh come ON. How cliché." And yes, it really was.

Out of the corner of my eyes, I saw someone heading in opposite direction I was. The next thing I knew, he had bumped into my shoulder rather forcefully. I looked up from staring at my feet, about to apologize, but then I saw…_him_. His face was flushed, and he started muttering "sorry" a million times. He furrowed his eyebrows together and looked down at me, and I couldn't help but stare. My goodness, what was up with the guys at this school having gorgeous eyes? This boy's face was young, and he stared back at me with violet eyes through a pair of glasses. His hair nearly reached his chin; it was wavy, and curled slightly in random places. A single messy strand of curly hair stuck out, and at that moment, I had wanted to just reach out and touch it. Don't judge me.

"H-hi," I said, afraid that I was probably going to explode on the spot. His blush increased tenfold, and he shifted his weight slightly.

"Hello…look, I'm sorry that I bumped into you…! I didn't mean it, it was an accident, I _swear_ it! I was ju-" I shook my head, and he trailed off.

"Don't be sorry. That was my fault…" I said, my heart pounding a mile a minute. What was wrong with me?! Usually I could talk to guys without all the crazy side effects! The boy brushed his hair behind his ear, then pushed his glasses up his nose.

"I-I'm Matthew…Matthew Williams." He said, standing a little straighter and looking at me in the eyes. Need I remind you that his eyes were like staring into heaven? I smiled slightly, tilting my head.

"Caliegh Higgins." I said. "You can call me Kay, if you prefer." Matthew smiled back, nodding slightly.

"So…are you new?" He said, walking over to the line and picking up a tray. I followed his actions, not really intending to seem too stalkerish. I nodded.

"Yeah. My sister and I just moved in." I chuckled under my breath. "We didn't even know each other for five years of our lives, and suddenly here we are! At the same school, at the same time." Matthew's eyes widened slightly.

"That's kind of what happened to me and Alfred." I paused in the middle of reaching for a small bottle of syrup to pour on the two pieces of French toast I had gotten.

"He's your brother?"

"Twin, yes." I blinked, shaking my head and proceeding to grab the bottle. However, Matthew had reached for the bottle at the same time I had. Our hands brushed against each other, and he instantly pulled back, blushing. "You go ahead." I looked up at him, feeling my face heat up.

"Thanks," I murmured, pretty much drowning the toast in pools of the maple-flavored Love in a Bottle. Matthew cocked his head slightly, smiling with amusement.

"You want some toast with that syrup?" I grinned, shaking my head.

"Nah, I'm good." We both laughed, picking up our trays and just kind of standing there awkwardly. "So…I'll see you around, Matthew." I said, subconsciously kicking at the floor with my left foot. Matthew's shoulders slumped slightly; I hadn't even realized they were raised at all.

"Oh…okay." He started to shuffle away, but I rushed around him and stood in front of him to stop him.

"No, wait…! Um…would you like to sit with us?" I said. My heart was going a mile a minute again, and I could just tell my face was probably as red as a tomato. Brilliant. He probably thinks I have naturally red cheeks or something…

"…That'd be nice, yes." Matthew said, just barely above a whisper. He looked at me again with those violet-blue eyes, and inside I knew I was about to explode from fangasming or something. I led him over to my table, and I glanced back at him once to make sure he was following. In fact, when we got closer to the table and I sat down (on the opposite side of the table as Gilbert and instead next to Francis), his smile brightened. He slowly sat next to me, then waved at Gilbert who, shockingly, grinned and waved back. Francis's eyes widened, and he immediately leaned over the table around me to look at Matthew.

"_Mathieu! Bonjour!_" He exclaimed.

"_Bonjour, _Francis." He said softly, smiling.

"Wait, you know each other?" Gabby and I said simultaneously. Matthew, Francis, and Gilbert all nodded.

Ah, wonderful! We all knew each other now!

* * *

**~Author's Note~**

Allow me to point something out. In the role play this is based off of, we only had 2 different dates. To make this story last longer, though, we're throwing in MORE BFs for us. So, really, we're gonna combine multiple RPs. :3_ It also makes it a little more accurate. I mean, how many people have one boyfriend for two years, then break up with them and get married to some other guy? XD_ NOT MANY.  
So there you have it. Not much more else to say... AU REVOIR. _*waves*_

-67OtakuGirl24X3  
_-KiwiFruit07_


	5. Chapter 4

_Chapter Four_

_Gabby's POV_

We'd spent a while lingering in the cafeteria with our new friends (Caliegh'd brought back some guy named Matthew, who looked just like Alfred except with slightly more purple eyes, and wavy hair of a lighter shade plus longer length), exchanging basic information like where we were from. After lunch, Alfred took me on a little tour to all the places that weren't covered the first time I was officially shown the campus. The best hangout places, secret paths in the garden, empty storage rooms where people hid for lots of reasons… Alfred showed me it all. I didn't think it was possible for me to love it here even more, but obviously I'd barely gotten started with what there was to experience.

We headed up to get our showers and such (the bathrooms there, by the way, were _pristine) _early, at about 8:00. I found it pretty amusing that Caliegh and I put on the same type of pajamas: fuzzy pants with an old t-shirt. I guess it was kind of a relief that we still _somewhat _thought the same way.

Our classes started the next day. Questionably the best part, however, was the very first thing after breakfast: homeroom. Since we were new about a month into the year, we weren't assigned homerooms according to our last names like everyone else; we were just tacked into whichever ones weren't full. I don't know where Caliegh ended up, though I was put in the homeroom for people with last names starting with a K-O. Of course, the name "Bibus" really stuck out there.

I expected to be greeted by a teacher, but no, the man remained seated at his desk. Instead, he gave a look to a guy that appeared about 18, who got up with a roll to his eyes and a slight groan. There must be something in the water here, because damn, this dude was hot too. Golden colored gravity-defying hair, bluish eyes, ripped muscles beneath his uniform….. Shit. I need to stop checking guys out when I first see them.

"_Hej, _I'm Mathias KØhler. Welcome to homeroom 216 in Hetalia Academy," he droned in the same tone of voice that a longtime McDonald's employee would ask for someone's order. He had a pretty heavy accent that I couldn't quite recognize.

"Oh, well, thanks. I'm-"

"Gabriel Beebus, _ja._"

So he already knew who I was, huh? Kinda creepy….. "It's Gabby Bibus," I corrected him quickly.

"Oh. Woops. Here, I'll show you to your seat," he continued, sounding very much like he'd rehearsed this many times. After a hard look from the teacher, he added, "Want me to carry your books?"

I blinked. "Nah, I got 'em..." I wasn't low enough to make someone carry my crap barely a minute after meeting them. Mathias shrugged, ushering me toward an empty seat in the back of the room and plopping himself at the desk beside me. He scooted his chair back slightly in order to prop his combat boot-clad feet atop the desk. I noticed the teacher shaking his head in annoyance, obviously having dealt with this before. "So is everyone here brainwashed with you?" Wow, I'm so good with my words. Note the sarcasm.

Mathias, however, perked up ever-so-slightly at my idiotic conversation starter. A slight grin played on his lips. "Nah, don't worry. See, I'm in trouble with my teachers, so they're making me do this stupid welcoming committee thing as community service or whatever."

My eyes briefly drifted over to the clock atop the doorway. 3 minutes till the bell would ring… "In trouble with your teachers, huh? What'd you do?"

"Nothin' that concerns you," Mathias assured me with a wink. I know I should've been wary of this guy, but I couldn't help it: I smiled.

"So where are you from?" I asked, afraid of a dreadful awkward silence. Mathias spontaneously lit up.

"I was born and raised in _Danmark," _he answered with utmost pride. I nodded slowly, my grin growing a bit more sincere.

"Denmark, huh? I've always wanted to go there…"

"Oh, it's amazin' there! Best country in the world."

Until the bell rang, Mathias described the wonders of his homeland to me. Instead of asking me where I was from, he simply confirmed I was American; I guess it was just pretty obvious. We shut up to listen to the morning announcements, then Mathias walked me into the hall. I couldn't help but wonder if he was required to do so because of his whole "welcoming committee" gig.

"I'm s'posed to give you a little walk around the school," he indicated. I didn't notice until then that he hadn't stopped grinning yet.

"I uh, already got an extra tour yesterday." Curse you, honesty. I could've walked around the whole academy with a hot Danish guy!

"Well I gotta do _somethin' _with ya! How about you come sit with me 'n my buddies at lunch?" he offered.

"You don't NEED to be all friendly with me, you know. If any of the teachers ask, I'll tell them you-"

"I know I don't need to. I _want _to," he interrupted. I stared at him for a moment, a sheepish smile seeping onto my face.

"Well, awesome. I guess I'll see you at lunch, then…?"

_"Ja, _I'll find you. Or, weren't you sitting with Gilbert? I'm cool with him; just ask him to point you in the direction of my table."

And so come lunchtime, I got my food (I settled with just a sandwich and fries today, trying to break my fatass habit) and asked Gilbert where Mathias sat. "'Thias? _Ja, _he's a real fun guy! He sits with his freaky little group of Nordic people over there." He shamelessly pointed across the cafeteria to one of the smaller, round as opposed to rectangular tables off to the side. It took but a second to catch a glimpse of his crazy hair, even from where I was standing. I thanked Gilbert and made my way over to the "Nordic" table.

"GABBY! Good to see you," Mathias shouted before I could open my mouth to say anything. He stood up and draped his arm around my shoulders as if we were old friends. "Guys, this is the chick I was telling you about. The one that said to 'divide by the square root of screw this' in my Math?" I gulped in embarrassment- I hadn't even realized I was muttering to myself as I did my work in Math until I spoke a little too loudly and made the whole class erupt in snickers.

"Oh, _joo, _she said something pretty funny in my Language Arts class, too! The teacher asked for an example of bad literature, and she listed a bunch of smart-sounding things like 'incomplete ending that doesn't wrap up the storyline properly,' then after we all gave her funny looks she just said 'Or _Twilight,_'" chimed a blond boy that looked too young to go to this school. I smiled slightly; _that _momentI was pretty proud of.

"So you're a cool nerd, eh? I like it." Mathias nodded in approval, sitting heavily on one of the circular seats and pulling me into the one to his right.

"I prefer the term 'awesome dork,' thank you," I said, praying that wasn't too lame. Apparently it wasn't, because Mathias laughed at it perhaps a little too loudly while the blonde kid- Tino, I remember his name being- giggled.

"Alright, lemme introduce you to my bros. You met Tino, right?" I nodded, and Tino waved at me cheerily with his fingers. "Cool. Well, this is his lovely boyfriend, Berwald." Mathias motioned to a very tall, glasses-wearing guy with shaggy blonde hair and an intimidating stern expression. I remembered noticing him somewhere in my homeroom.

"_Hallå," _he said in an incredibly deep, Swedish-accented voice. I gulped, abruptly reminded of inhibitions I didn't even know I had, and ended up just waving at him timidly. Good lord, was this guy actually Tino's boyfriend? He looked more like he'd be his _dad. _As if to answer my silent inquiry, Tino linked his arm with Berwald's and aimed in affectionate glance in his direction. I loosened up a bit.

"This _fabulous _fellow is Lukas," Mathias continued, nodding at a boy absorbed in a book about Norse fairytales. His purplish eyes had this vacant look about him, and a single strand seemed to detach itself from his cream-colored hair. His clear, slightly pale skin gave him a doll-like appearance. He didn't even look up when Mathias introduced him. This made the Dane pout, so he just moved on. "Last and probably least is his darling little _bror, _Emil."

Emil, who was chewing on a fish stick, shot a brief glare at Mathias, raised an eyebrow at me, and turned to stare out the window without saying anything. His hair was a strange silver color, and his eyes were more purple than Lukas's. If not for their mutual hostility, I wouldn't believe the two were brothers. They really didn't look anything alike.

"Well, hi there. Nice to meet you all." I sounded like an idiot around new people in general, so when surrounded by a bunch of cute boys, all hope was lost.

"Is she going to sit with us every day?" Lukas basically stated in a voice that perfectly matched his image, glancing up from his book.

Mathias shrugged. "I doubt it. But she's welcome to if she wants, right guys?" He grinned down at me as he spoke. Berwald nodded curtly while Tino agreed happily.

"So, you guys are all friends?" I confirmed. Why do I ever bother to speak? More importantly, why do people let me talk to them? It truly baffles me.

"Uh huh! We go _way _back….."

As Mathias went into how the 5 of them met in a Nordic boarding school, I started to wonder if I'd managed to make some new friends. Emil really didn't seem to like me being around, Tino seemed to like everybody, Berwald was like a freaking statue, Lukas stayed quietly lost in his book the whole time, and Mathias just came off as too friendly and aloof for his own good. But they didn't ask me to leave, and they never looked at me like I was a total weirdo, so I decided they'd at least accepted me. That was _more _than good enough.

* * *

**~Author's Note~**

I quite honestly hated this chapter... I hoped it'd come out so much better than it did._ I don't see why you hated it..._ It was just... poorly written. And didn't come together correctly._ I don't think so..._ *shrug*

Well, I don't know what else to say except I never realized until now how hard it is to be in character for YOURSELF. Wouldn't you think it'd be easy to write as how you would respond? WRONG. The thoughts and such are a piece of cake, but for some reason I just can't put what I'd say/do in a situation..._It's rather hard, isn't it? Like, "How would these character's think of me?!" And we don't want to seem Mary Sue by having everyone get along with us or anything..._ GOD, THIS IS JUST DIFFICULT.

-67OtakuGirl24X3

_-KiwiFruit07_


	6. Chapter 5

**_Chapter Five_**

**_Caliegh's POV_**

To me, there's nothing more annoying than being put in homeroom by last name. Usually, there's a certain amount of people with the last name starting with a certain letter, so there's always more people in one homeroom than the other.

This was why my sister and I ended up in homerooms that we both shouldn't have been in. She ended up in the homeroom for people with last names starting with K-O, while I was put in with the people with last names starting with A-E. All my life, I'd been separated from my closest friends in homeroom every year, but I'd make newer friends as the year went by. But for the first few days I would sit in a desk by the windows, off in the corner, so I wouldn't have to socialize with anyone.

But this year, it was a little different. This year, I had my good old guy friends from the lunch table in my homeroom. As soon as I walked in, I remember thinking, "Damn it. I have to deal with Gilbert every morning for the rest of my life." Of course, I knew I was going to graduate in just a few years. But still. This was going to be the longest two years of my life. I quietly slipped past them (they were all talking with Ms. Héderváry, who was also a counselor here) and sat in a seat next to a mysterious boy with pale blonde hair and skin like a porcelain doll. Well, hello gorgeous. He had his face buried in a book with a title in a language I couldn't decipher, though it looked to me like a type of Nordic language. In his hair he had clipped his bangs back with a cross-shaped clip, though it didn't do much because the majority of his bangs had fallen in his face anyway.

I didn't even realize I was staring until he looked up at me with these dark, violet eyes (there must be something in the water, because half the guys in this school have purple eyes). "Can I help you?" He asked, though it was so mono-tone that it simply sounded like a statement. Now that caught me a little off guard, but I put my bag with all of my books in it on the floor next to my desk and slowly shook my head.

"No, sorry." I muttered. I glanced away, but he didn't remove his gaze from me. Okay, he was staring at me. Was something wrong? Was my shirt inside-out?

"Do you have a sister?" He said suddenly. I looked up at him, eyes widening slightly.

"Yes, why?" He never answered, but instead asked another question.

"Is she your twin?" I nodded, sitting down in the chair. I turned so my feet were out in the aisle, leaning my elbows on my knees to lean slightly closer so we wouldn't have to like, yell or something. "Mm, I saw you two together the other day. You sit with them." He nodded his head over to the trio that I sort of regret knowing, closing his book.

"Yeah, I do…But, um, I wasn't my decision. My sister dragged me over to them the first day she got here when we went to lunch and…um…" I was ranting. I immediately shut up, humming slightly to myself and tapping my fingers on the desk.

"CALIEGH!" I heard my name being shouted from across the room. Damn. I knew that German accent so perfectly, it bothered me to know that he knew my name. I slunk down into my chair, barely letting my eyes come above the surface of the desk. Before I knew it though, I was attacked in a huge hug by the Spaniard.

"We thought we were going to be _alone _in homeroom!" He said, snuggling up to me. Whoa, were we already close enough friends that he was allowed to cuddle me without it being weird? Oh yeah. No. I shoved him away slightly, but Gilbert took that as a sign to wrap his arms around my neck from the back and slowly move his hands down the collar of my shirt. I shrieked, jumping up from my seat and smacking his hand away. Defense mode, activate.

"Hey, hey! I thought we were friends, here!" He complained, rubbing his hand slightly. I swiftly walked around the maze of desks to avoid them, and they attempted to follow me, but thank goodness Ms. Héderváry had called them over to her desk. I sighed inwardly, slowly making my way back to my desk. However, I was stopped by a firm hand being placed on my shoulder. I turned around, but I had to look up a few feet. This boy was tall; and by tall, I mean _tall_. And not just to me, a girl of only five foot two at my age. He gazed down at me with purple eyes (I'm telling you, this must be a _disease_.) and a creepy little smile. A guy stood behind him, carrying multiple binders and staring down at his feet. Glasses were perched on his nose, and yeah. He looked like he was this guy's nerd servant.

"You're new, _da?_" He said in a heavy Russian accent. I slowly nodded. Now I don't know what it was about him, but he seemed rather intimidating. His smile widened, and at that moment I decided that I should stay away from him at all costs. "Would you like to work for me, since I don't have the rest of my trust little Baltics here with me?" Before I could open my mouth to reject his offer, he froze and took his hand off my shoulder. Out of nowhere a girl with long platinum blonde hair and a maroon bow to match her uniform perched on top of her head appeared.

"_Brother dearest," _She whispered, and I took that as my cue to rush back to my desk.

And I was going to be in this homeroom for two. Whole. Years.

O~O~O~O~O~O

It turns out that I had pretty much all of my classes with the quiet Norwegian boy from homeroom. I learned from my Language Arts class that his name was Lukas, spelled with a K instead of a C. For some reason, that stuck out to me. It was kind of cute. By the time it had gotten around to lunch, I was practically starving. I mean, my lunch period wasn't until around 12:45. And that's fairly late, considering I usually ate lunch at around 11:00 back home and at my other schools.

Today, for some odd reason, Gabby didn't sit with us at lunch. She had walked over to our table, but instead of sitting she asked where some guy named Mathias sat. Gilbert had said something about some freaky Nordics or something, and I tilted my head, eavesdropping slightly. So she was sitting with the Nordic group, eh? I thought back to homeroom, remembering Lukas telling me something about being from Norway, which was a country in the Nordic region. He must've had a little group with the other boys from the Nordic countries, because after Gilbert pointed Gabby in the right direction, she had gone right over to a circular table consisting of five boys; one of them being Lukas. She must really get around.

"She must be friends with them, eh?" Matthew said with a light chuckle as he pushed a pancake around on his plate, coating it in a thick layer of syrup. I nodded, chewing on a slice of pineapple.

"I'm sort of friends with Lukas, I guess…" I muttered, and Gilbert shot a look at me.

"Lukas. You're kidding." I shook my head, glancing down. Beside me, Matthew paused while pouring more maple syrup, but then slowly continued.

"You two should go out," Francis piped up. I looked at him, and I felt a blush rising to my cheeks.

"Who." I asked/stated.

"You and Lukas! Come to think of it, you two are exactly alike!" Antonio claimed, grinning. What the _heck_ were they even talking about. I've talked with him like, twice. I didn't know anything about him. Quite honestly, I would've gone out with Matthew over Lukas any day. At least I knew a little about him.

"I know nothing about him." I said, crossing my legs and frowning slightly, trying to make my disapproval obvious.

"_Ja_, and you're off limits to anyone but me." Gilbert said, winking and smirking. I kicked him as hard as I could in the shins. Fun! This could become a game! Injure Gilbert Beilschmidt as Much as You Can until He's Broken! His smirk disappeared and instead he glared slightly at me. I could already tell that we were just going to be the _best _of friends.


	7. Chapter 6

**_Chapter Six_**

**_Gabby's POV_**

A little more than a month somehow managed to slip by. It was funny, really, how my and Caliegh's relationships with Francis, Antonio, and Gilbert- the Bad Touch Trio, as they called themselves- progressed over the weeks.

The longer we knew them, the more I liked them, yet the more they got on Caliegh's nerves. I absolutely _adored _them; they were older and cooler than anyone I'd ever _dreamed _of being friends with, and they actually seemed to like me. One time, I'd been standing in the lunch line and Francis walked up behind me and jabbed me in the ribs. I squeaked and dropped my entire tray, proceeding to curse him out on the spot. Gilbert, who'd been watching (and cracking up) from a distance, commented on how I had a potty mouth like a guy. And for whatever reason, that made me feel kinda nice.

It was totally different for Caliegh. She'd never been very happy to see them from the start, but every day she seemed to grow more and more tense in their presence. Gilbert constantly hit on her like there was no tomorrow, touching her as if they'd been dating for months, and it was pretty amusing to see how many ways she could hurt him till he backed off. Still, every day he'd come back as if she hadn't left bruises on his shins the last 20 times he flirted with her.

In fact, my sister seemed to dislike the BTT so much that I didn't understand why she stayed at our table. Well, that's a lie: the one thing- or person, I should say- keeping her there was Alfred's bro. He was the sweetest thing ever, I swear. So quiet, so socially awkward, so…. the opposite of Alfred. And so perfect for Caliegh. But I wasn't gonna bring that up anytime soon, because if I did that, she'd pair me with Alfred.

Honestly, I wouldn't blame her for going there. Out of everyone, I have to say I'd bonded with Al the most since school started. We had the same wicked sense of humor; same love for unhealthy food and contradicting want to not be fat; same taste in music; same obnoxious, unlikable-yet-also-lovable persona; same stereotypical dumb blonde traits (though for me, that only involved common sense. Matthew, who happened to be next to me when I was checking my grades, actually asked if I could _tutor _his brother). Not to mention how similar we looked. I'd promised my best friend back in New Jersey that I'd never replace her, but Alfred and I got along so well that I was beginning to regretfully take that back.

"So, Gabrielle."

I glanced up from my homework during my free period at the sound of Francis's voice. "That's Gabby to you, punk."

"Oh, _désolé._ Gabrielle." Francis smirked; I gave him a light punch to his arm. He just shook his head and sat next to me on the sofa.

"The librarian's gonna be back from her lunch break in 10 minutes, then she's gonna tell everyone to shut up. So speak quick, Frenchie," I advised him, abandoning my algebra homework for now and proceeding to doodle on the top of my paper.

"Don't worry, this won't take long anyway." Francis casually draped his arm around the back of the couch, barely touching my shoulders. I raised an eyebrow, but didn't say anything; he made romantic advances on everything with a pulse. "Tell me, _mon ami. _What's going on between you and Alfred?"

"Today, you mean? Well, tonight we were gonna watch _Vampires Suck…" _I answered sarcastically. Francis chuckled slightly.

"You know what I mean. There are some sparks flying between you, _non?"_

I looked up from my notebook, my pencil still sketching absently. "_Non. _He's too much like me. That'd be, like… selfcest. Or at least incest, 'cause he's like a brother to me."

"That can change."

"I like someone else anyway." The words left my mouth before they even registered in my mind. It had been such a natural comeback, but… why? I wasn't _that _good at lying, and it's not like that was an excuse I'd often used…

Francis glanced down at my notebook for a fraction of a second, then looked back up at me with a mischief only a Frenchman could harbor flickering in his blue eyes. "Ah, _quel dommage… _Well, whoever he is, good luck with him." Something about Francis's tone made it clear that he knew exactly who I had a crush on, but how was that possible? _I _didn't even know who I liked like that.

Shaking my head slightly as Francis got up and went to hit on some girls by the computers, I returned to my notes. I think my heart stopped for a fraction of a second, and I could feel a blush rise to my cheeks.

I had absently been doodling Danish flags.

Most often, I sat with the BTT, Alfred, Matthew, and my sister at meals. However, I did try to designate at least 2 days each week that I sat with the Nordics. It had come to my attention that a few people- though most strongly Francis- thought Caliegh should date Lukas. The more I sat near him, the more I saw where that made sense. I can't really describe it, but they just seemed… _right _for each other. To sum it up: they were both usually apathetic, with their faces in a book, yet could be damn _scary _when you pissed them off. Which didn't take much to do.

See, it didn't take long to determine the Nordics' views on me. Tino seemed to like _everybody, _so we got on pretty well. He was a real chatty guy, and didn't seem to notice that the only things we could easily talk about were gay rights and Christmas. Still, there was just something about him that made it impossible to frown in his presence.

Berwald… didn't really talk. Plus he was really dang scary-looking, so I've never had a conversation with him. He's never objected to me hanging around his people, but I don't think he's exactly for it. It seems, really, that the only person he talks to is Tino. Let me tell you this before I forget: those two are the most precious thing I've ever seen. Berwald kinda just unintentionally glares at everyone he sees, but when he looks at Tino… I'd never doubt for one second that he loves him with all his heart.

Emil doesn't seem to like _anyone, _except this one Asian guy whose name I think is Kaoru. He especially, though, does not like me. He's a pretty reserved guy, and I'm, well… I ain't reserved. Apparently, the guy's in denial about being related to Lukas, so he refuses to call him "Big Brother" like he wants. Mathias and Tino jokingly try to get him to use the nickname with them too, so I chimed right in with making him call me Sister Dearest. When he refuses that, I just try to make him acknowledge Lukas as his brother. Which, honestly, is probably the only reason Lukas hasn't taken me outside to the pond and held my head underwater.

I don't exactly know when it started, but I've developed a habit of annoying the hell out of Lukas. I'll read over his shoulder (I'll never admit that I actually find his books interesting. He better not ever read this), snatch the occasional French fry off his tray, and, even though he _hates _it, call him "Lukie." I picked that dreaded nickname up from Mathias, whose very presence seems to make Lukas just _steam_.

Mathias… I've definitely bonded with him the most out of anyone but Alfred. I learned a lot about him: although he's only in the grade above me, he's been held back a year. His favorite beverage is beer, which he has consumed so many times that it's literally impossible to get him drunk anymore. He loves the color red and is really gifted with an ax. If he wasn't so brain-dead, I'd easily fall in-

Whoa, whoa, no. Not gonna go there.

I was slaving away at my English homework in study hall while Mathias attempted to distract me with a story about a litter of Great Dane puppies he'd helped deliver when I was reminded of the little scene with me and Francis in the library. Did my subconscious mind acknowledge some type of feelings that I myself wasn't fully aware of?

"There were _seven _of those little buggers, man. The mama's first litter, and all of 'em were perfectly healthy," he was babbling. I looked up from my homework, about to actually act attentive to his story and ask if he'd kept any of the puppies, but then I accidentally caught his eye. What a shade of blue they were… It was like I was staring into the ocean. He was sitting backwards on the chair in front of me. There was only a desk between us; if I stood up and leaned forward, I could bring my face to his, and….

Oh, my god. What the _hell?! _Mathias was my second-best male friend. Why was I fantasizing about _kissing him?! _This was getting out of hand; I needed to talk to someone. Alfred couldn't be serious for more than 10 seconds, and I was afraid Francis's advice would involve setting us up on some romantic rendezvous… I needed a _girl's _word.

…wait. This wasn't middle school, where 95% of my friends were female. I'd been in Ms. Héderváry's office once, to talk about my parents' divorce, and even though she was nice and one of my favorite teachers I wasn't ready to trust her THAT much yet. That meant my only female confidant was my sister…..

Oh, boy.


	8. Chapter 7

**_Chapter Seven_**

**_Caliegh's POV _**

"What? You want advice from _me?" _I laughed briefly at my sister's insanity a few weeks later in the school library. Surely she wasn't being serious, right? If she wanted relationship advice, why not go ask Francis? After all, I was probably going to give her the exact same kind of advice. Gabby nodded staring at the ground the whole time. "Sit, darling, sit." I said with a mock British accent, motioning to the chair across from me. She sat, crossing her ankles. Hm. Didn't know she was so girly. "So what's your issue?" I said, crossing my legs and linking my fingers together, placing my hands on my lap.

"How do you know if you like someone?" She muttered slightly, looking as if she really didn't want to be here.

"Well who do you _think_ you like?" I inquired, cocking my head to the side. She just stared at me momentarily, a blank look in her eyes.

"Mathias." I smirked, and then brought my fist up to my mouth to keep from laughing out loud.

"Mm, Dane? Good. Go kiss his face." I said, grinning mischievously at her. Gabby's eyes widened, and she kicked me in the shins. "Ow…!" I bent down to rub my leg where she hit it. "You should, though. Just ask him out or something." I sat straight again, smirking and crossing my arms. "Now tell me all your symptoms."

"Well…I keep subconsciously drawing Danish flags. I, um, imagined I was kissing him in the library the other day…" I smirked. "Stop that."

"Stop what." My grin widened.

"Being Gilbert." I frowned, glaring at her. "Got ya'. Now listen to me…I don't know whether I like him, or if it's just a phase in the friendship or whatever." I raised an eyebrow. A "phase in the friendship"? Oh, she must not know much about having guy friends…

"To me, it almost sounds like you _really_ like him." I propped my elbows on my knees, and then perched my head in hands.

"You don't say." She said, crossing her arms and groaning.

"I do say." I responded. Aren't I just a witty little child. Gabby began to stand up, but I grabbed her wrist as she walked past me

"Let me go, please."

"Since you asked nicely, no." I sighed, turning around to face her. "Look…just don't do anything stupid, okay? Be yourself, and keep the conversation going." Gabby's expression softened, her shoulders falling. I released my grip on her arm, and she quietly slipped past me, a blissful smile on her lips. Don't get me wrong, I quite loved teasing her about her crushes. And when we were ten, they were just tiny crushes that lasted no longer than a week or so. But now that we were in high school, nearly women…Well, I can have fun now.

Thinking about that got me into thinking more. It was one of those moments where you're sitting alone in quietness, just thinking things over. And this…well. It made me upset that for five and half years, I never got to do the things with Gabby that most sisters do together. I never had girl talk with her, never got to dress her up when we got ready for eighth grade formal, never got to middle school with her. At all. I slunk down in my chair, frowning slightly. Come to think of it, I didn't really _have_ someone to be a sisterly figure for nearly six years of my life. I could never confide in my mom; I didn't feel I could tell her these things. I could never tell my friends secrets; I didn't trust them enough. I scribbled down notes on a worksheet for my world history class, running my hands through a strand of blonde hair that curled at the end, tugging on the annoying spiral.

I hadn't realized anyone was standing next to me until a delightful vanilla scent drifted to my nose. I froze, watching as Lukas leaned over my lap to look at my homework. "Actually, Norway entered the Kalmar Union with Denmark and Sweden in _1397, _not _1497_." I glanced down at the paper, groaning slightly and scribbling out what I had written and corrected it. Lukas was still fairly close, and I could smell the vanilla scented shampoo he used in his pale hair. I caught myself staring at him as he read over my shoulder, his vacant eyes skimming the page.

"Is it…okay?" Lukas glanced up when I said this, standing up and nodding.

"You're good at writing." I blushed slightly, my thought process going immediately to wanting to say something about being in Honors Writing, but I kept my mouth closed in fear of him getting offended. Instead I simply responded with, "Thank you."

"However," He continued, and I sat up slightly straighter, "you spelled 'insignificant' wrong. That's a 'C', not a 'G'." He pointed to the paper, and I blinked, erasing the G and replacing it with the C that was supposed to be there. I mentally cursed to myself; why did I have to spell such an easy word wrong when such a _cute guy_ was reading over my paper?!

…Wait. Cute guy? Damn it. I watched as he proceeded to sit next to me, pulling out a Norse mythology book; different than the one he'd been reading a few weeks ago. I glanced at the pages, but the words were in Norwegian. On the page he was on, there was a sketch-like photo of a man wading through a river with men on horses galloping across a bridge in the background. I tilted my head slightly, not realizing I had leaned forward slightly. Perhaps this was Thor in the picture; he was wielding a hammer in one hand.

"'_Thor wades through a river while the rest of the æsir_ _ride across the bridge Bifröst...'_ " Lukas murmured, and when I looked up at him, he was leaning towards me slightly. So he was reading to me? Hm…Interesting. He continued to read quietly to me as my interest grew; I already had some knowledge about this, but this book had some amazing details that I'd never even heard of. I scrutinized him as he spoke: the way his eyes moved across the page the way his lips moved and formed each word, some in Norwegian since they couldn't be translated directly to English. Before I could stop myself, I was wondering what it would be like to kiss those lips. To feel them pressed against my own…Whoa. Keep yourself together, Kay.

Lukas suddenly paused in his reading, tilting his head slightly and frowning. Darn, I liked it when he was so expressionless. "What is it…?" I furrowed my eyebrows together, but that was when I felt it, too. Someone was definitely behind us, and I almost didn't want to turn around to see who it was. However, I did (at the same time as Lukas. Insert fangirl squeal here.). And what I saw did not make me all that happy, and obviously Lukas was annoyed to see him there as well.

Mathias was on his knees behind the couch, propping his elbows up on the back of it. He gave Lukas a lopsided grin, then smirked at me. I rolled my eyes. What did Gabby see in him? His blue eyes shining with excitement, he stood quickly and jumped over the back of the couch, sitting between me and Lukas (and sadly separating us). "So, Norge. Who's this?" He said, wrapping his arms around both of our shoulders, pulling us closer to him. I frowned, glaring into nothingness ahead.

"Just a friend, Mathias." Lukas responded, closing his book and placing it on the table in front of us. What exactly did he mean by "just a friend"? Did this mean that Mathias must have thought we had something else going on? I sure hope not…

"Just a friend? Mm, Lukie's got himself a Lady Friend!" Mathias sang out, grinning mischievously. "So how come you two aren't goin' out, hm?" I swear a faint blush swept across Lukas's cheeks, but he crossed his arms and kept the glare on his face strong. Wow, he could really put up with Mathias.

"Because, I told you. We're just friends." He countered, his agitation only growing.

"If you say so." Mathias turned to me, simpering. "Your name's Hailey, right?"

"Caliegh…"

"Caliegh, whatever. You're Gabby's sister, _ja_?" I folded my arms over my chest.

"_Ja._" I said, mocking his accent.

"Do me a favor, and go out with dear old Lukie." I froze.

"Do…what?" Mathias's smile only grew tenfold and he leaned towards me.

"You heard me!" I opened my mouth respond with something witty, but the next thing I knew Mathias's head was planted against the coffee table and Lukas was holding him there, scowling while pinning Mathias's hand behind his back.

"_Forlate. Nå."_ He scowled in Norwegian, and I made a rough translation in my head that that meant to leave. Lukas released the Dane, and he hesitantly slunk away to probably go harass some girl somewhere else. Lukas stared after him, then collapsed back down onto the couch, sighing in an annoyed manner. An awkward silence occupied the moment, and I kind of half-wished we could stay frozen like this forever. I wished we were on a television, and someone with the remote could press the pause button for me. Sadly, this was real life. And time kept going.

"Just ignore what he says." Lukas said, just barely above a whisper. I blinked, then gazed over at him. He was blushing again, but there wasn't any hint of emotion of his face. Gosh, why were expressionless guys always so adorable?

"Yeah, I know…Freakin' Dane." I exhaled, closing my eyes. The whole world seemed to go silent as we sat there, side by side, shoulders pressed against each other's. After a few minutes, he got up and took his book from the table.

"Well…I'll see you sometime." He said so only I could hear him. I stood up as well, but had to look up at him since he was quite a few inches taller than me. I could feel a faint smile appear on my lips.

"Mm, bye Lukas." I said, waving slightly. He gazed down at me.

"_Ha det bra._" He said, and he walked off. Why did I love it so much when he spoke Norwegian? I had always loved it when guys spoke different languages for some reason, and accents just filled my heart with joy to hear (except British, for some reason. It annoyed me that every American out there loved them). I smiled to myself, glancing at the clock. Good, I had time to go to my dorm and contemplate over what was happening to me.


	9. Chapter 8

**_Chapter Eight_**

**_Gabby's POV_**

Going to my sister for advice had been the biggest mistake. The way she'd joked around about it at first; hadn't she grown out of that? Even _I _wouldn't have treated the situation like that. …Probably. But the point is, I'm _me. _She's the prim and proper little angel sent from above. I guess being spoiled just turned her into a COMPLETE brat. Charming. When we were little, I would've gotten all pouty but then giggled along with her in the event she made a game out of a serious topic. Well guess what: we're not little anymore. We're high schoolers, and this is the time in our lives when we could meet our future _husbands _for God's sake. Besides: nowadays, I'm not often serious, so when I am, that shit should be taken, well, seriously.

Okay, maybe I'm not giving her enough credit. She _did _stop being an immature little pest at one point… …Nah, I'm giving her the exact amount of credit she deserves. "Be yourself," she'd said. I was a bossy, airheaded, untalented, annoying, perfection-striving/deprived little _weirdo _who probably would be diagnosed with depression, bipolarism, ADD, and/or OCD if I was tested. "Keep the conversation going." Could I do that? Yeah. I mean, I usually encounter awkward silences in long conversations, but I can probably count on one hand the amount of times I've left a chat hanging then fading altogether at that. I'm talkative; _too _talkative. Shutting up was NEVER an option for me, which was a hit-or-miss sort of thing. Sometimes, I say just the right thing and spark a lot of laughs, insiders, or just plain an effective conversation. Others, I run out of topics to bring up, and with my inability to shut my trap, resort to speaking _whatever _pops into my mind and making everything really awkward. Yeah, I just keep on smiling and acting like it was something totally normal to say… but that just makes everything 20 times worse for me and my reputation.

Caliegh said this would get a hot Danish guy to like me? Yeah, I think _not._

The day after my sister'd _tried _to give me advice, I groggily awoke from a dream. The dream had been about- surprise!- Mathias. He'd proposed marriage to me with a Ring-Pop, and at the time, it had been the best thing ever. But now that my mind was gradually unfogging and the world was coming into focus (well, kind of; I was on the verge of blind without my glasses on), I was glad it was over. You can only escape reality for so long.

And what a way reality has of assuring you of its presence. I groped the windowsill for my glasses, clamping my eyes shut to escape the blurriness and only reopening them when my lazily unfolded spectacles were placed lopsided on my face. Maybe just a few more minutes of sleep wouldn't hurt… Just to make sure, I heaved myself into a sitting position, only to lean down onto my elbow once I was facing my side table.

10:00 in the morning.

Why the hell hadn't Caliegh woken me up?! As I frantically scrambled out of bed, taking a couple of my three blankets with me, I noticed that the princess was nowhere to be found and her bed was all neatly made. Good riddance. I still wasn't awake enough to spurt the colorful array of words that had jumped into my throat for her, even though the whole realization that I had slept in about 5 hours had sent quite a jolt of unwanted adrenaline through my veins.

…..Then I realized it was Saturday. So I let my shoulders droop, took a deep breath, and proceeded with my morning routine of washing my face, brushing my hair and teeth, changing into my weekend clothes (just an Angry Birds t-shirt, a pair of jeans with rips in the thighs and shins, and some old Converse shows), and applying a combination of 3 different perfumes. A quick glance in the mirror revealed that I hadn't blow dried my hair thoroughly enough the night before, leaving it look like total crap, so I had to throw it into a simple messy ponytail.

Good. Just how I like it.

I managed to make due with a couple granola bars for breakfast, and decided to occupy myself with a walk around campus. Yes, I could have hung out with Alfred or one of my other friends. Yes, I could have gone with Feliciano- an Italian in my Music class- to meet his brother, like he'd invited me to eventually do. Yes, I could have spied on the really cute, really popular/feared, really dickish Turkish guy from my Literature class. Yes, I could have made up for all the years I'd gone without bugging my sister. But… I simply didn't feel like dealing with people. _Is that a symptom of being lovesick? _I couldn't help but wonder.

There wasn't really a particular destination I had in mind; I was simply wandering. For a while, it was pretty refreshing, having my mind absent of any burdens or worries for a while. I'd done all my homework, my grades were still doing okay, and best of all, my sister was out of sight, out of mind. I was calmly imagining a scenario for a later chapter of one of the fan fictions I was working on; right as I was starting to form the mental movie into words to type up or write down later, my little wall of blissful ignorance crumbled to the ground with an earthshaking crash.

I hadn't acknowledged I'd drifted into the garden until now. Really, it was a miracle I hadn't bumped into something at that point. But my lack of navigation skills was the least of my problems. See, in the very dead center of the garden, just past a maze of hedges and shrubs, is a decent sized pond that's probably about 6 feet deep toward the middle. There are lots of shady little spots and picnic tables on its shores, and I tried to discard all the happy little couples sucking face there. Besides, they and everything around them were erased from my peripheral vision, as if I had blinders on; all I could see was Mathias, atop a medium sized step ladder, angled away from me, _completely shirtless._

I really hope staring didn't make me a pervert, because God, I couldn't unglue my eyes from him. He was trimming some unruly upper branches of one of the tallest shrubs- for his whole community service thing, no doubt- and it was obvious that he'd been assigned the job due to the fact that even with a ladder, it'd take someone of his massive height to manage. He still had to reach up some, though, and his skin stretched tight to reveal his ribs. However, he wasn't exactly skinny: on the contrary, he was pretty buff. Even from where I stood, I could see the bulge of the muscles in his biceps; how perfectly toned his calves were beneath the bottom of his shorts' legs; that his abs formed a perfect six pack; the beads of sweat trickling down from his forehead as he strained to snip away every stray leaf and branch….

Okay, someone seriously needs to lock me up and throw away the key.

I heard Mathias loudly grumble something in Danish- probably a cuss word- before he tossed his pair of hedge clippers onto the ground below him and huffily climbing down the ladder. He grabbed a t-shirt that had been draped over the top rung, and I admit that I'm pretty ashamed that my first thought was: "Please don't put that back on…!" To my nasty relief, he just used it to wipe at his brow then slung it over his shoulder.

"Workin' hard, 'Thias?" I called before I subconsciously allowed myself to, having no idea when I'd started walking toward him. I'll tell you right now, nothing is funnier than a tough-looking guy jumping nearly a foot in the air and shrieking like a little girl.

"Damn it Gabby, don't scare me like that!"

I'll never, _ever _forget what happened next. In fact, I'll probably be telling my grandchildren this following story.

There was a grin on Mathias's face, so I know that when he shoved me, it was playfully. Nevertheless, he obviously doesn't know his own strength, and even though I sure as hell ain't a little girl, I'm wimpy as hell. So that little push he gave me was enough to send my already jelly-legged self stumbling back a bit, until my heel banged against a nearby log.

It all seemed to happen in slow motion. I think I was still grinning from sneaking up on Mathias, even though pain abruptly ricocheted across the back of my foot. I know for a fact that an airy smile was still on Mathias's face, probably because he figured I'd catch myself before I fell. Well, I guess he didn't realize I was the biggest clutz on this planet, because before I knew it my arms were flailing in a pathetic attempt to balance myself, to no avail: within seconds (though it felt like dragging minutes), I was falling ass-first into the shallow end of the pond.

The water- soaking me from beneath, splashing up then down upon me from above- seemed to trigger time into progressing normally again. I was no longer smiling, and some form of curse word most likely left my mouth as my wrists instantaneously felt as if they were sprained. Mathias had clamped his hand over his mouth, so I don't know exactly what his expression was: just that he was sprinting forward, jumping over the log I'd tripped over and sending a whole new series of pond water splashing all over me.

"Oh my God, I _swear _I didn't mean to do that!" Mathias exclaimed, grabbing my hand and yanking me to my feet. Water droplets on my glasses lenses completely obscured my vision, giving the world this weird distorted look. But I could still see well enough to tell that one of my best friends was looking worthy of being on the cover of a male modeling magazine less than a foot away from me.

"I can hear you laughing, douchebag," I half growled, half cried, half giggled in response. Mathias snickered loudly.

"Sorry, but you just looked _so _smooth."

"Says the one who pushed me. I can report you for peer abuse, you know," I warned, unable to keep the joking out of my tone.

I could see Mathias grin through my indistinct vision. "Hey, be my guest. I humbly accept any punishment they'll have for me." If I'm not mistaken, his smile suddenly slipped into a smirk. His hands were no longer around my slightly throbbing wrist: they had made their way around my waist.

My breath immediately caught in my throat. The last time I'd been this close to a guy (except for hugging one of my male relatives or few guy friends) had been in sixth grade, when my friends dared me to slow dance with my crush, then with a bunch of total losers. That whole experience had been a jumbled mess of embarrassment, pressure, and newly budding hormones; this, however, was… different. Mathias's fingertips seemed to emanate a warmth that seeped through my damp shirt, even penetrating my skin until it hit my ribs, yet sending shivers throughout my whole body. I think I had begun to shake, and not because I'd gone from the stale air of an unnaturally warm autumn day to water that was probably no more than 55 degrees.

"What're you doing…" I managed to choke out.

"Saving you," Mathias murmured mischievously. Or was it… _seductively? _

I'd noted back when we'd first officially become friends that when you got close enough to Mathias, you could easily detect the scent of beer on him. I hated it- I'd never even touch the stuff, I despised the smell so much- but right now, it was actually pleasant; sweet, as opposed to repulsive. I pressed my hands against his chest to push myself away from him (I mean, people had to be staring at this point), but froze as I felt his heartbeat beneath my palm. I suddenly wanted to know more about him than I already did. I wanted to know everything about Mathias Køhler that there was to know, and I wanted him to feel the same way about me. I yearned for him to pull me closer, invite me to make memories with him that I couldn't make with someone that was just a friend…

"Will you go out with me?"

For one heart stopping moment, my world froze as I believed those words to have left Mathias's lips. Then reality showed its ugly self once more, and I realized that would _never _happen.

But that's when I made a realization that was a thousand times more terrifying.

Mathias hadn't whispered that inquiry; _I _had.

Shit.


	10. Chapter 9

**_Chapter Nine_**

**_Caliegh's POV_**

"So did you hear? Mathias and Gabby are going out with each other." Francis spoke one day during lunch. I paused while twirling a strand of pasta around the fork, glancing up at him.

"They _what_?" Okay, I didn't think my advice would actually help her! I seriously didn't think they would end up actually _dating_ each other!

Across the table from me, Antonio gasped. "Que? You mean Mathias Køhler, the Danish guy that she's always with now?" I nodded slowly, and my thoughts immediately raced to a part of my mind where I kept all my hidden thoughts. Most of them, at the moment, were of Lukas. I remembered the look on his face when Mathias had interrupted our moment in the library, the way his emotionless eyes narrowed at the mere sight of the Dane. I subconsciously glanced over to where he was sitting. He was leaning towards his younger brother (who was in my grade) and whispering something into his ear, but Emil had pushed him away with a blush rising to his face. I learned a few weeks ago that Lukas enjoyed trying to get Emil to call him "Big Brother", but Emil felt it was childish

Next to them, Mathias was getting all cuddly with my sister. Okay, what? They've been dating for what, a couple of hours? The pace of my heartbeat quickened when I saw that Mathias had snatched a French fry and popped it in Gabby's mouth, as if she was a little chick and he was the mama bird. I scowled to myself, ditching my plate of pasta to go get a drink. I felt Matthew's eyes follow me as I haughtily walked up to the vending machine, punching in a few buttons so I could get my sparkling water. I half-expected him to follow after me as he usually does, but instead he stayed seated, silently poking at his ice cream.

When the bottle rolled out, I turned on my heel to go back to my seat, but I ended up bumping into someone. I blushed furiously and muttered, "Sorry," and attempted to continue walking. However, the person grabbed ahold of my wrist. I froze in my spot, slowly looking up. And there he was. Lukas Bondevik was right in front of me, holding tightly onto my wrist. I nearly dropped the bottle in shock, and my mouth opened to say something, but nothing came out. What was wrong with me?!

"Can you come with me?" I'm pretty sure my heart stopped when he spoke, his faint Norwegian accent fairly obvious with the word "come". Oh, how accents made me melt inside. …Which I believe I've mentioned before, but you get the point. I slowly nodded and he dragged me away, down the halls and into a secluded corner. _What was happening?! _I was panicking on the inside. And knowing myself, I was probably also shaking at least a little bit.

He spun around to face me, crossing his arms over his chest. "Were you the one who gave your sister advice to ask Mathias out?" I shook my head, not lowering my gaze.

"I never told her anything." I muttered, shifting my weight from one foot to the other. His eyes remained in contact with mine, and I fell victim to the almost intimidating look they had to them. "Alright…I gave her a little advice on how to get a guy, but I didn't think it'd _work_." Lukas's eyes widened slightly and he grabbed my shoulders, panic crossing his face.

"You do realize that those two are a couple now, right? It was bad enough when those two were friends, but now they kiss in public." I visibly shuddered, realizing how completely right he was. And then I realized that he was touching me. He was holding me in place. Damn it. I think I was in love with him. Instead of freaking out like I was on the inside, I remained expressionless.

I said calmly, "We should move to another country." Lukas's grip loosened, and he dropped his arms to his side. Darn, I kind of wanted him to keep touching me.

"I can accept that." He said slowly, trying to process if I had really just said that. I smiled slightly.

"Good. We can hide from them forever. Move to Norway."

"No, that's too close to Denmark."

"Then what about London?"

"Warsaw," He took a step closer to me. I swallowed nervously.

"How about Asia?" What were we even doing?

"Beijing." He lowered his voice.

"Tokyo…" I muttered as he got yet even closer to me.

"How about another planet?" We were touching now. I closed my mouth, pretty much speechless at the moment. My head was racing, and I'm pretty sure if I did anything else then I would fall over. So instead I kept still. Was he getting closer? My heart skipped a beat as Lukas quickly tilted his head and pressed his lips against mine.

What. The. Hell.

He pulled away, a faint blush crossing his cheeks. He turned around, gazing at a place slightly above his head. "What was that for." He said sternly, glaring at the wall. I furrowed my eyebrows in confusion.

"Wait, you ki-"

"Not you, them." He waved at the place above his head as if swatting away gnats. I blinked. "The pixies. I know, you can't see them…" I shrugged, shaking my head.

"I can't, but I believe you," …_Did_ I believe him? I'd always had a passion for fairies; I even had a porcelain fairy on my nightstand. But he had kissed me…and blamed it on the fairies. Maybe this was just the way he acted on a daily basis. Inside, I secretly hoped it _wasn't _the fairies. I stared at him as he spoke in rapid Norwegian to the "pixies". I didn't know what else to do.

Finally he turned to me after arguing for a bit and took a deep breath.

"Okay…they insisted I do this, but…" He paused. "Will you go out with me?" The world must've stopped spinning at that moment, because it felt as if we were frozen in time and I couldn't breathe.

"Of course," I said, nodding once. Lukas looked taken aback when I responded, almost as if he didn't expect me to answer with "yes". Well, I did. Lucky him. The next thing I knew, he had his arms wrapped around my waist and was kissing me again. I secretly hoped this wasn't the pixies' doing, because this was perfect. Being this close to him, I could smell the vanilla in his hair. It was one of my favorite smells, next to cherry blossom.

Unfortunately, our moment ended, because soon enough we heard two people laughing as they came down the hall. Mathias and Gabby came around the corner, hand-in-hand, the smiles fading off their faces as they caught the both of us together.

This could get interesting.


	11. Chapter 10

**_Chapter Ten_**

**_Gabby's POV_**

_I'm dating Mathias Køhler._ _I'm dating Mathias Køhler._ _I'm dating Mathias Køhler._ _I'm dating Mathias Køhler._ _I'm dating Mathias Køhler._ _I'm dating Mathias Køhler._

Ever since Mathias had shocked the hell out of me by smiling and accepting when I accidentally asked him out that day in the pond, that thought was swimming around somewhere in my head. It was like there was a whole swarm of the phrase dwindling in the back of my mind at all times, and the entire flock would come rushing to my attention every time I drifted off.

The really surprising thing was that Mathias actually seemed _proud _to be in a relationship with me. He met me outside of the dorms and walked me to breakfast, holding my hand the whole time. Don't get me wrong, it was really nice, but I'd never held a boy's hand before so I'm sure my palm was sweating like hell. Still, Mathias never commented on it, so maybe he likes awkward girls.

Anyway, he sat at the table with his arm around my shoulders, and announced that we were dating the very second everyone was seated. Tino practically died from clapping and congratulating us and saying how "very joyful" he was for us, while nobody else seemed to give a damn. Well, Lukas looked disturbed for about a second, but I didn't think that counts for much.

"I can't believe you two are actually together," Emil had muttered, poking at his porridge. I coughed away a grin that threatened to appear on my face. Poor Emil; two people he hated, _dating._ That must've sucked.

"Really? You can't?" Mathias blinked, tilting his head. "Well here's some more proof!"

And guess what he did.

_He kissed me._

Did I know him well enough? Maybe. Did we have enough history together? I doubt it. Had we been dating long enough? Not at all. But I didn't care that this was so not okay; I didn't care that his lips had a permanent taste of beer and I desperately wanted to remind him of a little thing called mouthwash. There was something about the way he positioned his head _just _right, applied the perfect amount of pressure, and moved his mouth correctly that made me pray with all I had that my first kiss with him wouldn't be my last. And I'm not even religious.

The moment was over before I could become fully aware that it was even happening. My first kiss… The sensation of it was already slipping away. It had been so sudden, so uncalled for; now I could never document it like I'd always wanted to. Maybe I'd be able to remember my _second _kiss….

…Well, okay. That wasn't technically my first kiss. But I'll tell that story later.

"Mathias, I uh… I don't think he meant that he doesn't believe we're together. He just doesn't _want _to be," I choked out, my face absolutely on fire and my heart fluttering. I suddenly had no appetite for my cereal whatsoever.

"You're such an idiot, Dane," Emil muttered, staring off through the window. Mathias pouted immaturely, but quickly shrugged it off and regained his usual grin.

"You taste good…. What flavor lip gloss are you wearing? Cherry?"

I shook my head, my heart taking a sudden lurch as an idea immediately popped into my head. "Nope, not even close. Try again." I crossed my fingers under the table.

A smirk slipped onto Mathias's features. "I'm gonna need a better taste."

_Score. _I leaned forward slightly, closing my eyes, hoping I wouldn't bump our noses or bite his lip or anything like that. I decided I did pretty decent for a newbie. I started to pull away, only to feel Mathias's callused hand grip the back of my head, holding me in place. My blush rose all the way up to my forehead; I was beginning to feel faint, and not just because I was running out of breath. "…Ah. Cotton candy," Mathias muttered after what felt like a century. I inhaled a bigger breath than was probably necessary, sitting on my hands so I didn't touch my lips like the lovestruck loser I was.

"Ding ding ding," I murmured.

It didn't occur to me that Lukas had left the table. He was completely out of my mind, until Mathias and I ran into him. In an empty hallway. Kissing my sister.

At the time, Mathias and I had been lightly swinging our held hands and laughing over some comment 'Thias had made about our homeroom teacher. The cheery aura dancing around us seemed to suddenly be torn to shreds- at least on my half. Finally, _finally, _I'd accomplished something before my sister. Something besides making the High Honor Roll (which didn't matter anyway, because our mother decided only arrogant cheaters make High Honor Roll). Finally, I had some source of happiness that she couldn't take away from me…

Leave it to her to find a way.

Don't get me wrong, she and Lukas _are _pretty good for each other. So, technically, I should be happy for her, right? For about a second, I tried. I really did. But it didn't take long to see that I was unable to be. "How long has _this _been going on?" Mathias asked, gaping just as much as I was.

"Shut up, Dane." From the airiness of his voice and the fact that he hadn't unglued his eyes from my sister, even though they'd jumped about a foot away from each other, I could assume that Lukas hadn't even heard what Mathias had said. He was just so busy wallowing in my sister's luminous perfection….

I had to get out of there before I _exploded._

"I'll see you later, 'Thias," I stated. I slid my hand away from his, giving him a quick peck to the cheek before he could comment and dashing off to the dorms. As I climbed up the stairs, I had the devastating image of never getting the opportunity to hold that Dane's hand again.

I needed to calm down…. My mascara was crazy waterproof; splashing my face with some warm water would be fine and probably do wonders. So I rushed past the bedrooms and into the bathrooms. Fortunately, they were currently unoccupied.

When the hell had I started tearing up? I blinked rapidly, clearing up my vision. However, as I looked up into the mirror above the sink, I wished my eyesight was permanently blurry. Forget _"I'm dating Mathias Køhler;"_ the only thought overcoming my mind was a single word: _"Ugly."_

I don't know what people are talking about when they say Caliegh and I look alike. Her eyes occasionally are hinted with green or gray, while mine are constantly just deep blue; frankly, they're the only non-repulsive thing about my face. I can't really explain it, but it's just… not pretty. Maybe it's because my nose is too big; maybe it's because no matter how many facial cleansers I try, I always have blackheads; maybe it's because my head is slightly too small for the rest of my body. Not to mention how much slimmer my sister's face is. My dad used to say it was still just baby fat, but I've learned at this point that no matter how chubby of a baby I was, I'm not going to still have the fat 16 years later. Basically: I'm stuck like this forever.

_What the hell would one of the hottest guys in the school see in you? _I don't know if I said these words out loud, or if I was just bitterly mouthing them to my reflection. Gulping, as I had no answer, I slid my glasses off and rested them behind the sink's faucet. My vision was too poor to see the girl staring back at me now, but I still knew what I looked like without glasses. That image in mind, the word _"ugly" _floated away and was replaced with _"hideous." _This is why I refuse to wear contacts.

I stared down at the whiteness of the sink below me, shaking ever-so-slightly as I switched on the water. _Clear your mind, clear your mind, clear your mind…. _…That wasn't working. Stinging questions and comments kept throwing themselves at me. Screw warm water; I wasn't going to touch it until it was _boiling…_

"What's up?" I've been caught off guard a few times in my life. But never have I been so surprised that I screamed so loud I made my own ears ring, and spun around instinctively with an outstretched hand.

Please, _please _let my paranoia and lack of sight be playing tricks on my eyes… Because if I wasn't mistaken, I just backhanded my boyfriend.

"Oh… my _god… _Mathias, I'm SO sorry!" I shrieked, scrambling to turn off the water and retrieve my glasses.

"Hey, I've been hit with things harder than an awesome dork's hand," Mathias assured me, grinning as he rubbed his quickly reddening cheek. I tried to smile, though I could tell it wasn't very effective. "Seriously, though, man. Is somethin' up? You looked like you were about to start spewin' tears when you saw Lukie with Bailey."

"Caliegh," I corrected him automatically. "And, it's… I can't talk about it." I can't say I know this from experience, but I have a feeling ranting about my damn insecurities weren't gonna score me any points with a guy. If I told him what was on my mind, he'd probably dump me on the spot.

"Aw, c'mon! You're my _girlfriend. _Talk to me." As Mathias started stroking an invisible beard, I couldn't help but let out a choked giggle. Maybe I could let him in a _little _bit. _"I'm dating Mathias Køhler."_

"I, just… Caliegh's always one-upping me. In _everything. _So I thought I'd finally beat her by getting a boyfriend first, and then not even a day later she's already caught up to me," I explained quietly, swallowing the lump in my throat.

Mathias cocked an eyebrow, then immediately regained his trademark smile. "_That's _what's stressin' you out? C'mon. She's dating _Lukie, _man. Lukie! He's a creepy little Norwegian reject. I'm pretty sure you have your sister beat." He motioned at himself as if to say "You've got THIS!"

"…I… I guess you're right. Thanks, 'Thias…" I felt tears make their way back into my eyes. Damn you, PMS…

"Your lip gloss is all smudged, by the way," Mathias pointed out. I felt my face flushed and I smacked my pockets to find my lip gloss; however, Mathias shook his head and grabbed my wrists. "Lemme smudge it some more." God, did this guy know anything about _pacing himself? _Then again, I can't exactly complain. He wrapped his strong arms around my waist, pulling are bodies a little too close together, and slid one hand up my back until he was gripping the back of my head. He tilted it into the desired position, and pressed his lips against mine. Perfect… This was _so perfect…_

"Oh my god, there's a BOY in here!" I ripped myself away from my boyfriend way earlier than I wanted at the sound of a female shriek. Some girl had walked in with a small group of her friends and all of them were staring at us with the most disgusted expressions on their faces.

I swear, Mathias is such a character. He gazed up and down in every corner of the room, looking truly bewildered. "Huh? Is this the _girl's_ bathroom? I didn't know!" Briefly winking at me, Mathias shook his head in mock shame and made his way past the group. "Sorry, ladies." I didn't exactly wanna hear what they had to say to me, so I just trotted after Mathias.

"He's hopelessly confused," I insisted, only grinning as they looked about ready to hold my head in one of the toilets.

Did I still wonder why the hell someone like Mathias loves someone like me? Of course. I mean, it doesn't make any sense. But I don't ever question _if _he loves me. Walking into the opposite gender's bathroom just to see if your girlfriend's okay… I don't care what you say, _that's _love.


	12. Chapter 11

**_Chapter Eleven_**

**_Caliegh's POV_**

Just by seeing her rush off like that make me suspect something had to be up. On the inside, I was worrying like crazy about my sister. On the outside, however, I was keeping my focus on Lukas. He had kissed me, for goodness sake! That was my first kiss! And it was with one of the hottest guys in the school…oh yes, life was good. Now I don't really like it when the couple kisses on the first date. So you would think I hated it that Lukas had kissed me when we weren't even dating? Yeah, it got on my nerves. But, hey. It was worth it.

We had gone back to the lunchroom, both of us in a daze. I didn't even realize I was holding his hand tightly until he dragged me back to his own table and Tino's gaze lowered to our hands and he grinned. "Lukas!" He gasped when we sat down, and a light blush crossed his cheeks. He, however, still held my hand under the table. Aw. "You didn't tell us you had a girlfriend!"

"I just asked her out…" He muttered, the hold on my hand tightening. I wonder if it was something he did if he was nervous. I glanced at his brother Emil, who was looking at me as if he was judging whether or not I was good for his big brother. He had the same pale skin as his brother, except his hair was paler, almost as white as Gilbert's. His eyes were also more violet than Lukas's. While Lukas's eyes were almost a light blue-purple and vacant, Emil's were a deep purple and filled with passion, though on the outside he seemed cold.

I need to like, not check out my boyfriend's brother. That's weird.

Anyways, after what seemed like forever, Emil finally glanced away and stared out the window. He really seemed like he didn't want to be there. At all. I didn't blame him; I only sat with the Trio because Matthew sat there. But I have a feeling we won't be sitting there much anymore, especially since I was now dating Lukas. One of the Nordic guys. A hot Nordic guy, at that.

After getting to know the guys, I figured that I'd enjoy sitting here much more than I did with Gilbert, Francis, and Antonio. …Then again, I didn't really have anything against Antonio. But you get the point. I mentally decided that I wouldn't bring him to my table for meals; I would always just sit at his table. Yes…that seemed nice.

O~O~O~O~O~O

A few days later, I was sitting at the dresser in the dorm, peering at my reflection in the mirror. I couldn't decide whether to pull my bangs back in a clip on the right or left. I eventually settled for left, and pinned the hair back in a clip on the side of my head. I sprayed a light layer of my cherry blossom scented perfume on, then once again gazed at my reflection. Was I missing anything? Oh yes! I pulled open a drawer, frantically searching for a pair of earrings, even though I hadn't worn earrings in maybe three whole months.

Why was I actually attempting to make myself look nice, you ask?

Because tonight, I had a date with Lukas Bondevik.

We decided to go to the garden tonight since it was Friday and we didn't have school the next day, so I at least had to make myself look a little girly. I glanced at the clock on my nightstand. The numbers flashed, "6:21". Already?! I had four minutes to finish before he came to pick me up! I quickly slid the earrings in, then slipped on a pair of flats just as I heard a knock on the dorm door. "Coming!" I sang, making my way to the door. Gabby looked up from her homework, tilting her head slightly.

"And where are you going?" She asked, perching her chin in her hands.

"Date with Lukas." I said, opening the door. And indeed, it was Lukas. And damn, was he adorable. He was wearing a casual white shirt with blue vertical stripes, unbuttoned to reveal a light blue t-shirt underneath. He leaned against the doorframe, crossing his arms and looking down at me.

"You ready to go?" I nodded, and he took my hand and led me out into the hall. "You look nice." He said. I felt myself blush as I gazed up at him.

"Thanks. You do, too." Being this close to him, I could tell that he had put on some kind of cologne. And it smelled like heaven. An awkward silence settled upon us as we walked. Just to say something, I said, "I like your cologne." Why, I have no idea. I think I've only said that to a guy once, and that was my best friend in eighth grade. So it wasn't awkward. He looked down at me.

"Thank you. Yours smells nice, as well. Flowery." I nodded. He got it right on. We walked down the stairway hand-in-hand. It all felt like a dream, being with him. To the people we walked by, we'd be a couple. It was nice, being thought of that way. We made our way out the back door, down the steps, and out to the back garden. We found ourselves in the field of trees in the garden, and he silently pointed to a spot underneath one of the trees. We were fairly far away from any other people, so I agreed with him and sat on the grass, leaning against the trunk. He sat next to me, stretching his long legs out in front of him. Outdoor lamps had been strung through several of the branches on the trees, so even though it was getting dark, there was still plenty of light for us both to see. It was almost cheesy-romantic, but I still loved it.

In the silence, I heard the sound of pages of a big being flipped. I turned to Lukas, confused, but I saw that he had taken out one of his Norse books. A smile formed on my lips, thinking back to when I had first realized my attraction for the Norwegian. He had read from one of his books to me, translating the words so that I could understand them.

"Shall we?" He spoke, tapping the page of the book with his pointer finger. I nodded, moving closer to him so that we were rather close. He began reading as he usually does, and this time I could sit closer to him than usually since we were, you know, dating. This story he was reading to me was a rather sweet one. A happily married couple suffered a fire that burned their house, killing the wife. The wife, it turns out, was pregnant with twins.

It was saddening, and that was as far as we had gotten into the story, for the clock tower in the school chimed nine. Had it really been that long? I didn't notice my head was on his shoulder, my eyelids dropping. I sighed tiredly as he closed his book, letting my eyes close. He wrapped an arm around my shoulder, lightly rubbing my arm. "Come on, we should get to bed." From the tone of his voice, I could tell he was also tired, and I could never get enough of the Norwegian accent he spoke in. I opened my eyes, looking up at him. He was actually smiling. What was this?! …Okay, it was cute, so I'm not complaining.

I nodded. Lukas stood up, then offered his hand to me. I gratefully took it, using his weight as a brace to pull myself up. Surprisingly, he still had the small smile on his lips. Seeing him smile just made me smile, so we probably looked like a ditzy little couple that was so in love that it would take everything to separate us.

Which, secretly, I hoped we'd eventually be that way one day.

He dropped me off at my dorm, and I smiled as I had opened the door. I paused when I realized he hadn't left, and a small squeak escaped my lips when I felt his arms wrap around my waist and pull me towards him, pressing his lips to mine. My eyes widened, but slowly closed as I leaned into him, kissing him back. His sweet lips…oh, how I could kiss them forever. I linked my arms around his neck, and he tightened his hug on me, pulling us as close together as we could possibly be. The way he moved his lips against mine just sent chills through my whole body, but I returned the pressure and ignored the fact that the door had opened wider and my sister was standing there in pure shock.

"Ah, you gonna come in…Kay?" Lukas pulled away from me, but kept his arms around me. I looked at Gabby, my eyes widening slightly behind my glasses. I separated myself from him, regaining my composure and clearing my throat.

"Yes, of course." Gabby walked away from the door, leaving me and Lukas alone again. I turned to him again, smiling softly. "Good night, Lukas." I said, putting my hand on the doorknob. I leaned against the door.

"God natt, Kay." He said softly, lightly pecking my cheek. I blushed, watching him walk down the hall. I watched him until he turned a corner, then I sighed happily and pushed open the door, falling face-first onto my bed.

"IIIIII'M IN LOOOOOOVE!" I sang into the comforter.

"Hey, Caliegh! Are you in love?" I heard Gabby's voice from her own bed, and I nodded, rolling onto my back and grinning like an idiot.

"Oh, he is wonderful, Gabby…He's amazing. He's so sweet, he's…he's perfect." I lightly ran my fingertips along my lips, smiling. He really kissed me…! And more passionately than last time…

Oh my gosh. I was so in love with Lukas.


	13. Chapter 12

**_Chapter Twelve_**

**_Gabby's POV_**

So Caliegh was all loony with love, eh? I tried to be irritated about it; being pissed about my sister's achievements had become an instinct. Yet, I was met with something peculiar: _I couldn't look at it in a negative light. _

Was I happy for her? Maybe. Probably not. It's hard to be happy for someone when they tended to suck out your own happiness as a child. But it was a miracle: for once in my life, I wasn't jealous of her. Perhaps it was because it wasn't Lukas saying how in love with _her _he was, though I doubt that's it: he was practically eating her face in the doorway. More likely, I just felt sure that she hadn't accomplished something that I hadn't already. I mean, I was pretty damn in love myself.

In fact, it didn't even peeve me that Caliegh now sat with us at the Nordics table all the time (I, however, was still fond of my friends at the BTT's table, so I'd sit with them on occasion. When that happened, I was more than glad to find that Mathias would join me). I really expected it to drive me out of my mind that she sat there- that she included herself in a group I thought I had to myself- but really, all the Nordics (except our boyfriends, of course) treated her exactly as they treated me. Plus, all the snuggling and hand-holding and food sharing that she did with Lukas was nothing Mathias and I weren't doing as well.

"Hey, babe. I just realized something," Mathias brought up as we headed from the cafeteria to the dorms one Friday night. "We've been dating for what, 3 weeks now? And we haven't been on _one _date."

That made me pause walking. Tilting my head, I regained my pace, stepping in time with Mathias. Yeah, we were that couple that walked in perfect unison while we held hands. I opened my mouth to counter him, until I realized that he was right. Yeah, we'd hung out alone, and he had technically _asked me out, _but we'd never been on an official date.

"So I was thinking. There's this cool little restaurant right off of campus that a buncha couples hang at. As long as we get a teacher's permission, we can go. You in?"

"Nope, I'd prefer to sit alone in my dorm and study for my Algebra test." Mathias just stared at me until both of us erupted into a laughing fit. "What time should I be ready by?"

"I was thinking 6:00 tomorrow night," Mathias answered with his signature grin. I could just see amusement dancing in those deep blue eyes of his. It was phenomenal, how the feature was so youthful yet just made him all the manlier… ""I'm gonna ask Mr. Daniels for the permission slip; he's the only teacher that doesn't see me spending my middle aged years in prison."

That just made me let out another short laugh. "That man's got bad instincts." Rolling his eyes fondly, Mathias lightly brought his fist against my arm. "So 6? Tomorrow?" I confirmed. Mathais nodded.

"6, tomorrow. I'll see you in the mornin', babe. G'night."

"Mhm, 'night." I stood up slightly taller, one hand resting on Mathias's broad shoulder as he leaned down just a bit. We'd kissed so much in our 3 weeks (and 4 days, but who's counting) together that the positioning had become routine. I grinned against his lips, never tiring of feeling them against my own, and we pulled apart much too soon for my liking. We just stared into each other's pools of blue eyes, smiling airily like the lovestruck idiots we were, until we both giggled at how corny we were and went our separate ways.

When I made it to my dorm, I found that Caliegh hadn't returned yet. I bet she was off sucking face with her little Lukie somewhere; it still amazed me that this didn't get on my nerves in the slightest. Since I wasn't quite tired yet, I decided to start putting together an outfit for my date. Just thinking about that sent shivers down my spine. For the most part, they were good: thinking of me and Mathias, sharing a dinner together, on our first legitimate _date. _But there was some anxiety there, too. I'd never been on a date before… and I had no idea how the hell to prepare.

I immediately decided that I didn't have to sort through my closet for the few dresses and blouses I owned. The restaurant didn't sound to fancy, and I doubted Mathias would be expecting formality from his girlfriend anyway. Excluding formalwear, however, _didn't _exclude skirts; I had a few cute, casual ones, though I looked like total crap in a skirt… Skinny jeans. Nothing said casual-yet-feisty like skinny jeans! …Then again, skinny jeans were for skinny _people. _Which I wasn't. I did like to wear skinny jeans, but I absolutely hated how they perfectly displayed how fricking fat my legs are. So, those were out.

The next few minutes were spent searching through my closet, sliding hangers this way and that, tossing the occasional garment on my bed before deciding it would just go back in the closet, and comparing countless outfits. For a moment, I considered waiting for Caliegh to come back so I could ask her for help; she had always known so much about fashion…Then I realized how humiliating that would be, and decided I'd figure this damn thing out myself.

Ah, there we go. Feeling bitterly toward my twin; _that _felt normal.

In the end, I found a perfect pair of pants. It was jeans I had picked out myself right before starting at Hetalia Academy, that were supposed to be skinny jeans but were a size or two too large for me. As a result, they had that cute fit of skinny jeans, while still being baggy enough to not make it obvious that I was a fatass. There was a shirt I decided fit the bill, too: a dark purple off-the-shoulders top with purposely jagged frills on the bottom hem. With the way it was designed and how low-cut it was, an undershirt (and strapless bra, but that was irrelevant) was necessary.

The pride I'd felt at selecting a suitable outfit seemed to be stabbed and shattered right at the core. All my decent undershirts were pretty skintight, and I usually only wore them with shirts that were slightly too translucent. With just the half-length top, the undershirt would be tight against my stomach, which constantly looked like, 3 months pregnant. Pleasant, isn't it. But this outfit was so _cute…! _I sighed in irritation, falling back on my bed and digging my fingers through my hair, which was a problem in itself. Would I straighten it, or leave it as it was? …Leave it as it was. I didn't want to risk going on my first date with a big ugly burn mark on my temple.

Why? Why the hell couldn't I have been graced with a nice body? I'm not asking to be a _supermodel; _just _not fat._ In the mornings, after I hadn't eaten for 10 hours and spent _8 _hours lying on my stomach, flattening it, I was perfectly content with how I looked. Yet after I put food in my system, I filled out to my true fatness. Why couldn't I look morning-thin _all _the time?

Suddenly, I sat up in bed, knocking a discarded t-shirt to the floor. If I was in a cartoon, a light bulb surely would have appeared over my head. Because I was struck with an idea.

My plan had been going perfectly. Yeah, it was a pain in the ass, but it was _so _gonna be worth it when I looked almost feminine for my first date.

I'd laid everything out so carefully. I stayed up _way _too late- until 2:30 in the morning, to be exact. I occupied myself actually studying for all my upcoming tests, then browsing Tumblr and Facebook for a few hours. Usually, I go to bed at 10, so I was _exhausted. _So exhausted, in fact, I slept in until 11:20-something.

Just as planned.

I took way long getting ready in the morning, showering for half an hour, brushing my hair 4 times, applying my mascara with unnecessary precision, and sitting there zoned out in my towel for a good 5 minutes before getting dressed. Then I got three-quarters through the 400-page yaoi manga I'd brought with me to the academy, and _finally _headed downstairs. By then, it was nearly 1:00, and none of my friends were in the lunchroom.

_Perfect. _

By the time I needed to get ready for my date, I hadn't touched _any _food, and still looked as comfortably thin as I had when I woke up. Were there downfalls to this? Hell yeah: my stomach simply wouldn't shut up, and I'm used to having 3 meals a day with a few snacks in between. An entire day without _anything _was unthinkable.

But it would be worth it. Because I'd look okay for my date with the best looking guy I knew.

It had gotten to the point that I was so hungry I didn't even acknowledge the hunger (besides the occasional stomach gurgle), which was totally fine by me. I was in the highest of spirits at 5:40 as I got ready for the date. In fact, the entire time I combed my hair, washed my face, dabbed a bit of blush onto my cheeks, decorated my eyes with shadow and liner, and layered on my favorite-flavored lip gloss, I was humming the peppiest songs I knew as loudly as my vocal chords would allow.

I already knew my jeans would be fine; however, I held my breath as I changed into the undershirt. I closed my eyes tightly, pulling my arms through the straps, and had to remind myself to stop sucking in my stomach as I faced my reflection in the full-body mirror.

This couldn't be happening… I had to be dreaming… But no, this was real: no matter what angle I looked at myself,_ I didn't look fat. _My last-minute plan had worked! Grinning so widely it hurt, I literally squealed as I pulled on the second shirt. I slipped into my favorite pair of Converse, and practically skipped out the door.

"Damn, girl… You look smokin'," Mathias called up to me from the bottom of the spiral staircase where he leaned against the railing. I currently stood on the landing in the middle of said staircase, and felt myself blush. God, the date hadn't even started yet and my cheeks were already aching from smiling.

"Thanks, 'Thias. You're lookin' fine yourself." 'Fine' was an understatement. In fact, I doubt Mathias Køhler was capable of just "fine." Thankfully, he had the same casual dress code in mind as me: unfaded blue jeans, his usual black combat boots, and a deep red button-down shirt with the upper 4 buttons undone, revealing the top of his perfectly toned chest. I gulped, praying I wasn't salivating. Because that would be disgusting.

"Hurry it up, gurl, times a'wastin'," Mathias ordered, smirking gleefully. I giggled slightly, ignoring the slight wave of dizziness that washed over me. I was probably just so excited I couldn't see straight; that was normal, right? Mathias was just so perfect, and this night was going to be so brilliant, that my world was spinning…

I took a step forward, but my foot did not meet a stair. The next thing I knew everything had gone black.

When I woke up, I was staring at a white ceiling. I immediately had to close my eyes, since I was blinded by lights overhead. Shaking my head to clear my woozy thoughts, I attempted to sit up, and automatically groaned in agony. Dear God, it felt like I'd been hit by a truck. My neck was sore as hell, as were my wrists- was that a cast on my left one?

Okay, what the hell was going on. As I bit my lip to keep from crying out from pain, I realized they still tasted of cherry. That meant it couldn't have been too long since I got ready for my date with Mathias….. Had I even _gone _on my date with Mathias?

"You okay, babe? That was quite a fall."

Speak of the Devil. "A fall…?" I croaked out. Okay, _ow. _My hand instinctively shot up to rub my jaw, which hurt the moment I moved it, and my previous suspicions were confirmed: my left hand was in a small wrist cast.

"Uh huh." Mathias was still in that red button-down shirt, a ghost of his usual grin remaining on his face as he held my right hand. "It was the weirdest thing. One second, you were lookin' totally hot, and grinnin' down at me, ready for our date; the next, your face went blank, you completely missed the step, and you were tumbling down the staircase."

Well that certainly took "head-over-heels in love" to a whole new level…

The nurse then joined us in the room, carrying a box of untouched thermometers. "From the sounds of it, you're lucky you didn't break anything, Ms. Bibus. You'll be sore for a while and have to wear that cast for a couple weeks, but otherwise, you're fine." It was obvious that she could see the bewilderment on my face as I took in all this information. She set her box down on a counter. "Do you have any idea what happened, sweetie?"

I paused. "Not, really… I got dizzy before I took a step." Some sort of interest flickered behind the nurse's glasses at those words. "But I'm used to random little dizzy spells like that. I've gotten them since I was little," I explained quickly. And this was true.

"If you're used to them, I'd assume you know well enough to pause before moving during one." Damn, the nurse had me there. I felt a blush sweep across my cheeks. What, was I going to tell her I was so distracted by the overwhelming hotness of my awaiting boyfriend that I didn't want to wait for the dizziness to pass?

Mathias tilted his head slightly. "Hold on a sec. I didn't see you at lunch _or _breakfast, babe. Don't people get dizzy when they're hungry?" Oh, sure, Mathias. _Now _you choose to use your head.

"But I ate today," I insisted.

"What'd you have for breakfast?" Mathias questioned skeptically, raising an eyebrow. Liar mode, on.

"Cereal."

"What kind?"

"Corn Pops."

"When did you eat that?"

"I lied, it was more like a brunch. I had it at 12:13, AM. Two bowlfuls."

For once, seeing Mathias's eyes light up discouraged me instead of sending butterflies fluttering through my stomach. "Aha! Liar, I went down for lunch with the guys at 12:08 till 12:30. You weren't there."

Shit. I was caught red-handed.

"Dear, do you often skip meals?" the nurse asked, a little too gently. Time to switch back to honesty mode.

"…No… I'm a pretty big eater, actually. But I uh… I had a date tonight, and I wanted to look thin, so…"

"…you starved yourself," Mathias finished for me. I'd never seen him look so serious; in this situation, I didn't like it.

I shook my head, then remembered I was basically crippled and just flinched. "Not technically… It was only a day, starving myself would've lasted-"

"The point is, you didn't eat. You _hurt _yourself. So you'd look _skinny." _Mathias's voice was gradually rising. Instead of giddiness dancing in his eyes like I was used to, it was now frustration and slight agony flickering in those blue orbs. "Do you know who's skinny, Gabby? Sluts. Sluts are skinny. You know who cares about what they look like? Bitches. And do you know what you aren't? A slutty bitch. You're my awesome girlfriend, who isn't even fat. You're like, _perfect _size. Not a twig, but not a boulder either. You're just right. And I don't appreciate how much makeup you're wearing right now." Were my eye liner and shadow really that noticeable…? "They distract from your _naturally _awesome face. So wash that shit off, stuff your face with a cheeseburger, and get real.I asked you out so I could spend time and fall in love with you. The _real _you. Not so you could try to impress me."

I'd heard Mathias rant and ramble plenty of times, but usually it was about a silly topic like bars he'd been kicked out of. But this… This was different. And it brought tears to my eyes. If the nurse wasn't standing right there, and moving didn't hurt like a bitch, I would have grabbed him by the face and kissed him on the spot. "…Mathias…" was all I could feebly manage. He heaved a deep breath and closed his eyes; when he reopened them, he looked a little more like himself.

"You've been out of it for 2 hours, so you can't be _tired, _but you gotta get some rest. Maybe when you're not a cripple, we can try this whole date thing again."

"I ain't a cripple…" I defended meekly. Still, I smiled as widely as I could (which wasn't much, with my banged up jaw), and gave his hand a little squeeze with the one that wasn't in a cast. "I'm sorry, 'Thias… I was stupid…"

Mathias squeezed my hand right back, and I felt this weird, surprisingly pleasant throbbing in my chest. My breath caught in my throat as I realized what it was: love. True, actual, legitimate, _love. _"Hell yeah you were. But hey, I'm Mathias Køhler. I wear stupidity like a cloak. I _like _it. Just try to be stupid in other areas instead, 'kay?"

The slightest of slight laughs escaped my throat. God, was there anything I could do that _wouldn't _hurt? "I'll do my best." My expression suddenly fell serious. I had never said what I was about to announce to anyone that wasn't related to me, and if this was the wrong time to say it, it would permanently maim my relationship…. "…I love you, Mathias."

If I could have crossed my fingers, I would have. Mathias just looked at me for a moment, before displaying his usual cheery grin but with a little less volume. "I love you too, Gabby." And he kissed my forehead.

* * *

**_Author's Note_**

_Well don't I just sound like an emo little Mary Sue. OOPS :D Well anyway, I don't really like how I ended this... but I was rushed when writing it, so I guess I could've wrapped it up worse._

_-67OtakuGirl24X3_


	14. Chapter 13

**_Chapter Thirteen_**

**_Caliegh's POV_**

"She's _where?!" _Yes, I already knew fully well that she and Mathias had gone out to a restaurant for a date night. But I _wasn't _aware that they never made it to the restaurant. I was getting concerned when I didn't see her at any of our meals that day. At breakfast I figured that she'd just come down late. But she never did. At lunch, I worried a bit. I thought that maybe she was with Mathias at our other table, but Mathias sat with us during lunch. And then…dinner. I was freaking out. She didn't even show up at all. Even Mathias was looking a little worried. I knew I was probably fidgety and annoying Lukas, but he didn't seem to mind for the most part.

Goodness, why do you think I loved him so much.

Anyway, Lukas and I were in the library doing homework when Lukas got a text from Mathias, saying that he was taking Gabby to the hospital wing. Okay, what?! What'd he do to her?! Then I remembered: Gabby hadn't eaten literally all day. Then I remembered another detail about my sister. It was the fact that she thought she was fat when she completely wasn't; perhaps she had tried to make herself look thinner by not eating all day? I hoped with everything I had that that wasn't what had happened.

Unfortunately, a few minutes later Lukas got another text. "It says that she starved herself. She fell down the stairs because she got dizzy, and now her wrist's sprained." I froze while writing out an algebraic equation, furrowing my eyebrows in worry.

"Well…is she okay?" I said, my voice hardly above a whisper. Lukas nodded, tapping on the screen of his phone.

"She has to wear a cast for a bit, and her head is bruised, but other than that she's fine." I crossed my legs and twirled my hair between my pointer and middle finger, frowning.

"I _knew_ this would happen eventually…She's tried it once, but the lunch lady made her eat food. I told her to never do it again, but…" I swallowed. Was I really this protective of my younger sibling? Even after five and a half years of not seeing her, I was still the sa-

My thoughts were interrupted as Lukas's arm found its way around my shoulders, hugging me close. Even though we'd been dating for—what, two weeks?—a while, the small coupley motions like this still make my heart race and my face flush a deep shade of red.

"Caliegh, you're cute when you're worried," He muttered, putting his lips close to my ear. Oh my gosh. What was he even doing? I must say, this did concern me the slightest bit, because he was leaning closer to me. It seemed a little out of character for him, if you asked me.

And then I made the mistake of looking into his eyes. Those gorgeous, violet eyes…

We got so close so that our noses were touching, but he did not let our lips touch. His eyes closed, and he murmured, "_Jeg elsker dig," _I closed my eyes as well and let him kiss me, as he had done many times before.

…Wait. Did he say "_dig"_? I thought Norwegian was _"deg"_…Instead of thinking about that too hard I let it slide from my mind. I mean, I spoke English! And Spanish, but that didn't matter. I could've easily just gotten Danish and Norwegian confused. So maybe I shouldn't have thought about that one too hard. Because come on. "_Jeg elsker dig" _and "_Jeg elsker deg_" was really similar and could easily be mistaken for one another. Right?

...Right?

O~O~O~O~O~O

Okay, I lied. I couldn't let Lukas's little slip of the tongue go. After our little study date in the library, his words didn't stop pulsing through my brain. "_Dig"_…Why couldn't I just have the magical power to speak every language out there?! It really bothered me that I didn't know which was which.

I didn't even think Gabby would be let out of the hospital wing so early, but she was sitting on her bed by the time I got back to the dorm. Indeed, she did have a wrist cast on her left hand. She did look pretty out of it, so I decided to let the scolding past. Instead I floated right past her, fell face-first on my bed, and buried my face in a pillow (which wasn't that comfortable with my glasses digging into the bridge of my nose, by the way). I felt Gabby's stare, so I turned to face her. "What." I said. She held her hands up in surrender, wincing as if it hurt her to do so.

"Nothing, nothing. What's wrong with you?" I glared slightly.

"Lukas, is what's wrong." Her eyes widened.

"Wait…Lukas. Your Lukas. Lukas Bondevik. Lukie. Your Lukie Pie. Your Cuddle Muffin Teddy be-"

"Please, stop talking. Yes, him." She did indeed stop talking, but that's not what I wanted. I wanted her to ask what it was about, like usual. I wanted to tell her, but I didn't want to tell her on my own. So instead of sitting in silence, I sat up quickly and hugged a pillow to my chest to try and _make _her say something by showing I was clearly upset. That's right. The thought process of a three year old.

After a few minutes of silence, I frowned slightly. "Fine, then. You know what he said to me? _Do you know what he said to me?_" Gabby raised her eyebrows without looking away from her iPod as if to say, "What."

"He said, '_Jeg elsker dig'_, Gabby!"

"Doesn't that mean 'I love you'?" An exasperated sigh left my lips.

"Yeah. In _Danish_." I said forcefully. This caused Gabby to freeze, slowly looking up at me.

"Wait…"

"Yeah, that's right! I have a feeling he doesn't love me all that much." I said, leaning against the headboard of the bed, hugging the pillow tightly. "Because…Because what if he actually loves Mat-" I paused midsentence. I couldn't bring myself to say it. Especially since Mathias was Gabby's boyfriend, and they were so in love…

"Loves Maaaaaa…?" She stretched the unspoken word. I didn't look at her, but I said, "Mathias," A horrible silence settled around us.

And that's when I realized that what I had just said might actually be true. Lukas…could be in love with Mathias. That my boyfriend could quite possibly be gay for my own sister's boyfriend. I've always supported the whole love-hate relationships. And I never thought much of gay relationships being any different than normal ones; most of my middle school years were spent reading yaoi manga. I know, lame.

Okay, I was overthinking this. Like that would actually happen…

O~O~O~O~O~O

The next morning, I was almost worried to see Lukas. Sure, I loved him, but at the moment I was kind of questioning his sexuality.

I hesitantly sat next to him on the bench during breakfast, kissing his cheek quickly and muttering, "Good morning." Mathias, Gabby, and Tino hadn't woken up yet, but the Emil, Berwald, and Lukas were. Good. At least I could have a _little_ peace.

Then I realized just how awkward these people were to be around without the cheerful, beamish ones here. It was like they were an infection with their happiness…Secretly, I enjoyed the fact that Mathias hadn't gotten here yet. That meant that Lukas couldn't drool over him in his mind, but on the outside being all cutesy with me.

…I need to stop thinking, because at that moment another horrid realization flooded over me. What if Lukas was only dating me to make Mathias jealous?! Oh, I prayed that wasn't the case. I'd probably lose my sanity if I learned that I was being used like that.

My terrifying little fantasies ended when Mathias slid onto the bench, Gabby hanging off his arm. This was normal, because they were clearly in love with each other. My heart sank when I realized that Lukas and I probably weren't like that. That his attraction for Mathias was probably growing with every breath Mathias took. I watched as Mathias kissed Gabby good morning, grinning down at her. She smiled in return.

"Hey, guess what." Mathias said, smirking.

"What?"

"_Jeg elsker dig, _my little cherry Danish." I froze. Wait…What? I must've heard him wrong. I must've. He could not have just said what I thought he said. He kissed Gabby again, the two smiling. I gazed at Lukas, who was staring down at his bowl of Cheerios intently. I opened my mouth to say something, but closed it again, losing what I was going to say. Instead I looked down at the table, blinking back confusion.

I sure hoped I wasn't right about any of this.


	15. Chapter 14

**_Chapter Fourteen_**

**_Gabby's POV_**

My twin sister was insane.

I mean, I've always known she's an OCD-bearing prissy little worrywart, but now I was officially positive that she was out of her mind.

Like I said: she's a worrywart. Always making a mountain out of a mole hill. Don't get me wrong, her concern is kind of sweet, especially when it's for other peoples' wellbeing. But this… She was completely overreacting. Let me review. She accused our smokin' boyfriends (well, _my _smoking boyfriend and her… special little love muffin) of being _gay for each other _because Lukas said "Jeg elsker dig" to her. At least, I think that's what she claims he said. Norwegian and Danish are so freaking similar, _anyone _would mix the two up.

I digress: I'm all for two hot guys lovin' each other. For God's sake, I love, love, _love _yaoi. I pair guys together left and right, in anime AND real life. But there's no way in HELL I'd accept those two gay guys being the men my sister and I are in love with. If they're bisexual, I truly don't give a damn. Hell, I'll admit it, I am too. And if they're _gay… _Well, I've always imagined I'd end up "dating" a guy who's just using me as a cover-up for his homosexuality. Although it's never crossed my mind that that guy would be _Mathias._

Stressing out about this wasn't gonna get me anywhere. For all I knew, Caliegh could have just heard Lukas wrong. Seriously: "deg" and "dig." That's a _one vowel _difference! So what if Caliegh'd always had an extraordinary sense of hearing- or was it smell? I dunno, it's been over 5 years. Really, that just supports my case; maybe that sense of hearing (if that's even what she had) has worn off.

Say she _did _hear him right. It could have just been a simple slip of the tongue. I screw up words all the time! Then again, I talk a hellova lot faster than Lukas…. Still. I don't really know the specifics on how his accent goes- I haven't heard him say _that _much- but maybe he said "deg" but it sounded like "dig." The possibilities are endless. You must be paranoid to jump to the conclusion that he's freaking gay for my boyfriend.

God, this whole thing was just _ludicrous. _So let's change the subject, shall we?

I knew straight off that it wouldn't take long before people knew of my sprained wrist; I mean, every time you see someone in a cast, it's almost second nature to ask them what happened. I did not, however, anticipate word of _how _I sprained my wrist to spread as quickly as it did.

Thankfully, I was released from the hospital wing a mere day after I'd been admitted. The nurse told me I was supposed to ask someone to help me carry my stuff, and I did intend to… But I simply couldn't bring myself to so early in the morning. So on the way to breakfast (after a very frustrating shower; you try cleaning yourself with one god damn hand) I attempted to piece together in my mind how the hell I would mange my lunch tray with one hand. In the end, though, I just grabbed one of those preassembled lunches in a paper bag. All I had to do was pop a bottle of water in there and I was good to go.

When I returned to the BTT's lunch table, I was caught off guard to see everyone there- even Matthew, a little bit- let out a collective sigh of relief after I sat down and pulled a cheeseburger out of my lunch sack, feeling much like I'd just come from a fast food restaurant. Just to be a smartass, I let out an overdramatic sigh too, a lopsided grin twitching onto my face. Alfred rolled his eyes fondly, while Francis chuckled almost sadly.

"Very funny, Gabrielle," the Frenchman murmured.

"Well what are we all," I sighed again, "-ing about?"

The Bad Touch Trio exchanged glances with each other. "We're just glad to see you're not starting a _pattern," _Gilbert told me in that heavy accent of his. I raised an eyebrow, starting to attempt to unwrap my burger with one hand until Alfred reached across the table and did it for me. I aimed an awkward smile his way, a "thank you" suddenly caught in my throat.

"We were afraid you were going to starve yourself every day," came Matthew's quiet voice from somewhere beside me, answering my puzzled expression. My face fell, my mouth ever-so-slightly open, as I simply blinked stupidly.

"How'd you uh… hear about that?" Did they just assume? I didn't think they were that clever. Mattie, yes, and maybe Francis, or Antonio on a good day, but the other two…

Gilbert linked his pale fingers together, propping his elbows on the table and leaning forward with his chin atop the back of his hands. "It's quite simple, really. 'Thias sent a mass message to his bro-hoes on his contact list, saying you were in the hospital wing, right? Those guys included me and Al. We both asked why, and he told both of us that it was 'cause you starved yourself, passed out, and fell down some stairs. I told Francis and Tonio, Al told his _bruder, _und we all ended up telling each other. Und, heh, a few other people along the way."

Geez Mathias, did you have to be so honest? He could've at least sugarcoated it a little… And how many people were "a few other people"? God, Mathias was gonna get it when I saw him….I glanced around the cafeteria, noting his absence. Come to think of it, Lukas wasn't here yet either…

No. Bad thoughts. _Stupid _thoughts. It was just a coincidence. Stop it. NO.

Besides, who was I kidding. "Gonna get it…" I couldn't _give_ _it _to a freaking Chihuahua with the state I was in. "He was exaggerating… I wasn't really _starving _myself, I just skipped a whole days' worth o' meals. No biggee…" The 5 guys sitting around me stared at me as if I had just escaped a mental institute. It made me feel like a bug under a microscope, and I didn't like it. Glancing down at the table, I took a swig of my water. I looked up to find I was staring into a lovely pair of light blue eyes. Not nearly as gorgeous as Mathias's, but hey, they were a sight.

"Just don't do it again, okay, _mon ami?" _Francis reached across the table and gently trailed his fingers down my cheek, letting them linger at the bottom of my jaw so as to cup my chin. This was way too romantic of a gesture for a chick in a relationship; I would have smacked his wrist away if my own wasn't sprained, and if he wasn't piercing me with such genuine concern.

I sighed, doing my best not to meet his gaze. That freaking French charm was like a damned magnet, I swear. "Don't worry, I won't. _Je vous promets._" Francis smiled so warmly at my use of French that it'd put the sun to shame. "I was stupid, and-"

"Hey man, paws off my girl." A tiny smile automatically appeared on my face at the sound of that Danish accent. It felt like a weight had fallen off of me as Francis withdrew his hand, and I prayed that it was relief I was feeling.

You would think that from the way Mathias treated me, my wrist had been _amputated, _not sprained. That darling boyfriend of mine showed up early for all 3 meals of the day from then on to carry my lunch tray, which made me feel like total crap although he seemed eager to be of assistance. Despite my protests, he carried over half my things to _all _of my classes- a delinquent like him didn't exactly give a damn that he was late to class. And after about a week, maybe less, had passed since I crippled myself, he offered to take me on another, milder date.

It was sweet, really; I didn't expect something so sentimental of Mathias. He packed this nice little picnic (I later learned he'd stolen all the food from the cafeteria, but hey, it's the thought that counts) and took me out to the benches by the pond where I'd accidentally asked him out. It's amazing, really, how just a brief string of memories flashing through your mind can make you feel fluttery, humiliated, giddy, and lovestruck all at once. I caught myself staring at the hedge Mathias had been trimming, and when he wrapped his arm around my waist to lead me to a bench, I was reminded of what it felt like to be held by his firm, strong hands for the first time.

I couldn't tell if Mathias had put a lot of thought into planning this date, or if it was just obviously ideal. Either way, this setting was perfect: it was so simple, so casual, that it was pretty hard to get stressed over. Anything besides a t-shirt and jeans wouldn't work for this kind of date. I didn't apply _any _makeup- not even mascara- for the occasion; shockingly, it was a decision I was _happy _about.

Mathias and I sat across from each other, chatting about various topics while munching on light foods like crackers and these cute little sandwich things. This was the type of romance I'd always, _always _dreamed about: one where you could be making out one time, then be acting like normal ol' best friends another. And here Mathias and I were, tossing bits of cheese at each other, laughing at stupid jokes, in relatively the same spot where we'd previously embraced, during which Mathias was half naked. _I loved it._

I have no idea when or why, but after about our sixth cheese-cracker-and-pepperoni sandwich, Mathias and I got rather involved in a classic game of Would You Rather. "So babe, would you rather… Swallow a pine cone whole, or eat your own dog?"s

Where the hell was Mathias coming up with these scenarios? I bit the inside of my cheek, thinking it over for a couple seconds. "Swallow the pine cone. I don't even have a dog right now, but every dog I've had has been my _baby. _I could never eat 'em."

"Totally understandable," Mathias agreed, nodding multiple times. He reached into the picnic basket and pulled out a grape, tapping the little fruit against my lips. Grinning, I opened my mouth, and he popped it inside. "Now you ask me."

"Yeah yeah, I know how the game works. We've only been playing it for like, an hour," I replied snippily while chewing on my grape. I swallowed, pursing my lips as if that'd help me think better. _Repulsive scenarios, repulsive scenarios… _Ah ha. This one wasn't totally extreme, but hey, it'd bring me to Mathias's next turn. "Would you rather lick a bar of soap- three licks, I'd say- or kiss Lukas for, uhh, 11 seconds?"

"Kiss Lukas." The speed at which Mathias answered the question caught me off guard, and from his expression, he hadn't meant to answer so quickly either. Even with obvious choices, I'd noticed both of us paused for at _least _a second before answering. Not this time; it was as if Mathias had been talking about kissing my sister's boyfriend all his life.

"…You sure?" I almost said "Licking soap wouldn't make anyone question your sexuality," but I kept my mouth shut.

Mathias started to speak instantaneously again, but abruptly looked as if he'd second guessed his response and slowly closed his mouth. "Yup." He grinned like he usually does, though behind that youthful glow in his eyes I could detect some anxiety. "I mean, Lukas is-" His expression froze, as if he had been shocked so quickly that he didn't have time to change his expression. My heartbeat was starting to increase, even though it felt like something was constricting the vital organ. I wanted to scream, _Lukas is WHAT? _"So uh, your turn," Mathias said quickly.

Something about that hurt me. A lot. "Actually, um, how about we head on back to the school…?" I offered with meekness I didn't normally possess. Mathias blinked, obviously taken aback.

"Sure, whatever ya want, babe…"

_Caliegh was right. _Some damn voice in my head kept insisting that, over and over on a loop as Mathias and I made our way back to the Academy, him holding my good hand and carrying the half empty picnic basket with his free one. There was an unusual quiet between us, but I was too busy panicking internally to really be fazed by it.

Maybe my sister's paranoia was just rubbing off on me. Lukas apparently saying he loved her in Danish; Lukas and Mathias turning up to breakfast late on the same day; Mathias being totally fine with the option of kissing Lukas… Coincidences. All of them had to be mere coincidences. I wouldn't stand for anything else…. Yet something was telling me I was gonna have to.

I was used to Caliegh being right. In fact, Caliegh being _wrong _about something was, annoyingly, pretty rare. In this case, however, Caliegh's correctness didn't make me jealous or generally pissed off; it just made me totally, utterly _sad._


	16. Chapter 15

**_Chapter Fifteen_**

**_Caliegh's POV_**

On television, you're always seeing those shows where someone is cheating on their significant other. The main character gets suspicious, and sooner or later consults their girlfriend or boyfriend about the matter. It's always rather hard for them. Sometimes it's a mistake, and they were never cheating. Other times, the whole relationship comes crashing down to an end.

In my case, the pressure of consulting Lukas was two times as worse. For me, I had to ask if he was gay _and_ cheating on me.

Now you may be thinking, "Are you stupid?! You can't just ask someone those things!" I'm quite aware of this. That's why I decided to take a slow approach on the situation and hint at it in conversations, at least make him fall for something that'd make him admit it to me.

During our free period the following evening, I was happily sitting on his lap four minutes before the bell rang. No one was in the seats surrounding us, so I took this as my one chance. I looked up into his vacant eyes.

"Lukas?"

"Hm."

"…I've been hearing…some _really_ horrible rumors about you." He stopped combing his fingers through my hair, looking down at me.

"Do tell." I sighed dramatically.

"But they can't possibly be true, because we're dating…"

"Please be succinct, Kay." I pouted, crossing my arms and leaning my head on his chest.

"People keep saying that you're, well, gay." I swore I saw a look of panic flash on his emotionless features, but it disappeared within a split second. So I must've imagined it. He exhaled, continuing to brush through my waves.

"Why would you even believe such a thing…" He said, shaking his head. I glanced away, but then back at him. Alright, I'm going insane. Because I could've sworn I saw him blush. He was frowning more than usual, which was odd. Almost as if Mathias was in our presence.

…That's a lie. If Mathias was here, Lukas would be all giddy like a schoolgirl.

"I'm not saying I believe you, but I'm curious. If it weren't for me,_would_ you be? Because you know I'm into the whole yaoi thing." He rolled his eyes slightly. That's right. He's _never_ done that with me.

"I don't know, maybe." On the inside, I felt a sudden feeling of jealousy surge through me. So if the "pixies" hadn't made him ask me out, he'd be gay for Mathias, eh? On the inside, I was quite crestfallen. Was he really one to cheat on me? I hoped not.

"…Lukas, do you love me?" I was such a horrible person.

He hesitated with his answer. That's right. He HESITATED. "Of course." He said. Quite honestly, I was bereft of interest for this topic any more. The more I talked with him, the more depressed this whole thing made me. Instead I shut my mouth and snuggled up to him, ignoring the fact that this was probably the last time I'll get the chance to ever do this.

O~O~O~O~O~O

Usually sitting in the dorms on my bed, listening to Beethoven's Moonlight Sonata ringing through my panda headphones, would help me calm down a little if I got too annoyed or angry. However, that wasn't going to help at the moment. I resisted the urge to storm right down to the music classroom and calm myself with my violin or the grand piano; instead I flopped down face-first on my bed and groaned into the pillow.

I wasn't even aware that my sister had come in soon after, falling into the desk chair and sighing in exasperation. Without even looking up at her, I muttered, "What's wrong with _you_."

"How could you tell?" I knew she already knew the answer. I had a skill of reading others' emotions sometimes. I lifted my head from the pillow, staring at Gabby. After a few seconds of me not responding, she spun around in the chair. "Well. I was playing Would You Rather with Mathias, right? I asked him if he'd rather lick a bar of soap or kiss your little boyfriend. Do you know what he said, Kay?" I slowly shook my head, though I had a bad feeling about this. "He said," she paused for dramatic effect, "that he'd rather kiss Lukas." I sat up, my shoulders falling.

"You can't be serious." She nodded gravely, disposing of any small shred of doubt that I had left.

"I hate to say it, Caliegh, but…you're right. Mathias and Lukas might be cheating on us with each other." Well you certainly don't hear that every day. At that moment, Gabby's expression changed from "Oh my god, I need to tell you news!" to something that I couldn't even describe. I guess it was something between despair and horrid realization that what I was saying was true, that this was reality.

And right then, I felt empathy for my little sister. This was really her first love, and the whole relationship was corroding at the core as we spoke. She blinked quickly, turning away from me and staring out the dorm window to the field a few stories down from us. I followed her gaze to see a couple sitting under a tree, the male strumming lightly on a guitar while the female swayed to the beat, her lips moving as if she were singing to his playing. I didn't want to say anything, but I knew she was thinking the same thing as I was. That at one point, we were that couple with Mathias and Lukas.

Perhaps I was just overreacting, but seriously. How would _you_ feel if your first high school love were to just walk out on you for your _sister's_boyfriend, making him gay? It wouldn't be too comfortable, I speak with experience.

I slid off the bed, walking to the bathroom in a daze. I needed to relax, and to do that, a shower might be nice. Locking the door behind me, I turned to the mirror and gazed at my reflection. To anyone else, I would appear to be an expressionless girl, not a worry in the world. To myself…I could see in my eyes that I was somewhat depressed about the matter. Tears began to form in my eyes, but I quickly rubbed them away and cursed under my breath.

Damn hormones.

O~O~O~O~O~O

For a couple of days, I kept this whole situation off my mind for the most part. But one event in particular made my head spin and start worrying even more than I had before.

Usually, Lukas and I walk to dinner with each other. If we didn't do that, we'd always wait at the doors to the café for each other. We'd only wait for a couple of minutes, because usually we came down at 6:15 every day. However, today I waited until 6:30 at the doors for him to come. No worry, he was probably just doing homework and got sidetracked!

I slowly slinked into the café, seeing if he had gone ahead and sat down at the table already. I tried not to let the fact that Mathias wasn't there either bother me. After all, he sometimes sat with Gabby at the BTT's table. I automatically started walking to the Nordic table, but paused and figured it'd be pointless to sit there since I wasn't really good friends with any of the others. Instead I turned on my heel and walking in the direction of the square table the occupied my dearest friends, the Bad Touch Trio. Gabby was already sitting there. Without Mathias. I looked around the dining hall to see if I could spot his messy head of hair or dark red shirt somewhere, but I saw nothing. I slowly sat next to Matthew, somewhat surprised that he had stayed there even when I wasn't there. Then again, he _was_ friends with Francis and Gilbert.

When I sat, his eyes lit up behind his glasses. "Caliegh…!" He exclaimed, looking as if he wanted to hug me and never let me go again. Just seeing him so happy made me smile, causing my heart to beat quickly. I reminded myself that I had reacted this way the first time I met him…

Gilbert's head whipped around to face me, and he smirked deeply. "Caaaaaaliegh, you're back…" I huffed, crossing my arms and turning my back to him.

"I forgot that I had to see _you_ again." He leaned across the table and tweaked my ear, grinning.

"Don't be so sour, _liebling_." I scowled at his addition of "darling" at the end of the sentence. With the casualty that he said it at, you'd think we'd been dating for a good couple of weeks. However, I was in a relationship. He wasn't allowed to do that. I swatted his hand away, turning back to Matthew and smiling slightly.

"I figured I needed to come visit you once in my lifetime." I tilted my head slightly. "After all, you _are_ my best friend." He smiled back at me. For some reason, I really liked this warm feeling. It was almost homey. Familiar.

…Nice.

Gabby, Francis, and Gilbert were all having a conversation with each other while Antonio was off harassing someone he called "Lovi". Something inside of me wished that we had never gotten boyfriends. That we had never had to switch where we sat. However, it was polite to do so. I wasn't going to ask Lukas to sit at our table any time soon, especially since he didn't get along with any of the people at this table. It shocked me that _I _did.

Then again, the only thing really keeping me there was Matthew and the fact that I didn't have any other place to sit. I had probably smiled more eating dinner with Matthew than I had in a month. He was telling me stories, filling me in with the latest news. And I could probably listen to his soft voice all day, laughing along with him and making comments here and there. Every now and then we would pause and switch places, with me telling a story or two and him listening intently, gazing into my eyes. I didn't pay attention to anything around us at all, only that we were happy.

I had only one main concern…

Lukas and Mathias had never come to dinner.

* * *

**_~Author's Note~_**

_Dun dun dun, the drama! *gasp* This chapter was somewhat depressing to write, quite honestly…And no matter how much I say it, I still think we sound like little Mary Sues. Except that we actually like this, and these thoughts actually go through our heads…_

_So eventually, if we ever get enough fans for this, we're going to post two series of polls on our RoseMatoBird page. I can't say what they are, but we need readers if we're going to do them! So if you know anyone who may be interested, please spread the news about this story and have them check it out. :)_

_-KiwiFruit07_


	17. Chapter 16

**_Chapter Sixteen_**

_The excessive amount of alcohol Mathias Køhler had consumed over the years chipped away at a vast number of his brain cells, giving him an overall aloof and self-important type of oblivious persona. Yet he actually felt a significant amount of guilt clutching at his heart, overpowering the fluttery emotion that was cruel, _cruel _love._

_He managed to ignore it._

_"Mm, hey, Lukie. You hungry?"_

_The gorgeously doll-like Norwegian glanced up from his book- an adult level spin on one of his favorite fairytales as a child. He narrowed his absent violet eyes, a dark aura seeming to emanate from his perfect being at the use of that God-awful nickname. "Not really… Why."_

_His Danish roommate sighed heavily, plopping himself at the foot of Lukas's bed. The latter slipped a bookmark into his page and glared at Mathias over his knees as if he was a slime-oozing roach. On the inside, however, he was smiling- _singing, _even, and partially regretted laying down since it put a bit more difference between him and the Dane. He sat up. _

_"I lost my appetite. This whole… situation is just stressin' me out," Mathias muttered, using one callused hand to massage his temple. Lukas swung his legs to the left (not bothering to take care to avoid kicking his roommate in the hip) so that the two young men were sitting side-by-side. He stared at Mathias with that look that gave nothing away while at the same time saying absolutely everything. Mathias's jaw fell slack and he even flinched a little. Why did Lukas have to be so _creepy_?_

_ "You love her, don't you." Mathias couldn't deny it: he adored the way Lukas could read him like a book (even though he wasn't exactly a closed off guy). Of course, that mysterious expression of Lukas's and his not deep, not high, yet not medium voice made his jeans ever-so-slightly tighter. He heaved another great sigh._

_"Of course I do. Her eyes are the prettiest shade of blue, I swear. Her lack of self esteem is annoying, _ja_, but it's kinda freakin' adorable. We can always get each other laughin', and I can't think of anythin' I've said that's offended her, but… I dunno, it just feels like-"_

_"-she's too much of a friend. Like a sister."_

_Mathias just gaped at Lukas for a moment. "…_Ja_, exactly like that. She's almost like one of the guys, but with boobs and a v-" Lukas kicked Mathias in the shin before he could finish his vulgar sentence. He clenched his teeth in pain, but it soon passed; he was used to this type of abuse from his… "friend." "ANYWAY, she's kinda a goody-two-shoes too. She tries to be a little badass, but she's even more into her grades than you are. And she's always tryin' to TUTOR me. Like, who does she think she is? My mother?"_

_Lukas's eyebrows furrowed together, and now he felt the guilt too. Just a pang of it, though it was still present. These weren't exactly the things he was wanting to hear. "Don't ridicule her or anything. You could have just said she's not in the 'girlfriend' league."_

_Ridicule? Was that what Mathias was doing? He wasn't trying to… He thought he was just listing the reasons that he should get it over with and friend zone Gabby! Isn't that what Lukas _wanted _to hear? He pursed his lips. Whatever… "Well what's YOUR excuse? I thought you were all in _luvvvv _with Caliegh?"_

_Now it was Lukas's turn to feel uncharacteristically uncomfortable. How could he not expect Mathias to bring up Caliegh when they'd just been discussing Gabby? Besides, she was as big a part in this situation as her sister, Lukas, and Mathias were. "…I, do love her. But it's….." He sighed. It didn't matter that he'd known Mathias since they were kids; sharing his feelings with anyone- let alone the idiot Dane- was unexplored territory. Up until recent… events. "It's complicated, okay. I think we just have too much in common."_

_"So what, it's like you're dating yourself with boobs and-" Mathias couldn't help but grin broadly, despite cradling his head which would be harboring a nice bump from where Lukas just slammed his leather-bound book against it. "But seriously, bro. Isn't havin' too many things in common a bad thing?" He thought about all the jokes he'd invented that only Gabby understood, and went rigid._

_"_Ja_, usually… They do say opposites attract." Lukas was not headstrong, but he was not a wimp. Either way, he had to draw up a lot of courage to speak the words that were clawing at his lips, dangling off the tip of his tongue. Heart beating quicker than he'd prefer, blushing a light shade of pink (as unwonted as that was to do in Mathias's presence), he lifted his eyes up to meet the Dane's deep blue ones as if the violet orbs were made of heavy lead. "Perhaps… that's why I'm more in love with you."_

God, Mathias is such a bumbling idiot, _was all Lukas could think as his "friend" simply stared at him, mouth hanging open. "Aw, bro….! _Jeg elsker dig._" For a moment, he recalled whispering these words into Gabrielle's ear, smirking in satisfaction as she emitted a slight shudder of pleasure. He quickly shot the memories into the back of his head before his grin could falter._

_"_Ja, ja… Jeg elsker deg også_," Lukas murmured, staring at the ground. He ignored the fact that he had told stupid Mathias that important three-letter phrase more times than he had told Caliegh: his own girlfriend._

_But that didn't matter. Because now that idiotic, annoying, cocky Danish man had his lips mashed against Lukas's. And there was nothing he loved more than that permanent taste of lingering alcohol on a smirking mouth._

_Mathias almost didn't want to pull back- he wanted Lukas to swallow him whole, for them to lose themselves in each other without paying the world another thought. Nonetheless, oxygen was calling him, so he had no choice but to withdraw. Lukas had this unique, indescribable taste, much unlike the obvious flavor of lip gloss Gabby had about her. Oh, damn it, why did she have to keep popping into his head….?!_

_Oh, right. Because she was his girlfriend, and the first person he verbally admitted to loving. Then again, what did that matter when the first person he _consciously _loved was mere centimeters away from him, looking ever-so-kissable? _

_….Well, the whole thing about _cheating _was pretty important…_

_Ah, whatever. He'd deal with that later._

_At the moment, he wrapped one strong arm around Lukas's waist and pulled him so close that he could feel Lukas's….. well, manhood through his plaid pants. Their lips came together once more, perfectly, as if their mouths were crafted just for each other's. They opened their eyes in unison; Mathias's flickered with a youthful glow while Lukas's simply glared. Both emotions, however, belied a combination of the mixture of uncertainty and lusty eagerness they truly felt. _

_The two boys disregarded the initial hesitation and dove in for more kissing, which grew in roughness each time they came back. Each kiss seemed to heat up, and increase their desire for more… It wasn't long before Mathias was leaning his ripped upper body against Lukas's much leaner one, leading him against the bed. Everything- time, virtues, needs, other people- was forgotten, everything but that burning sensation in their hearts and the pits of their stomachs…_

_It would have paid for them to keep track of the time. To realize that they had skipped dinnertime without word to anyone. Because their moment of granted forbidden desires came to a crashing halt with the opening of a door._

**_Gabby's POV_**

Caliegh was seriously starting to get on my nerves. She's never really been a show-off (on purpose, at least), though she always gave off this cocky little vibe of perfection. Lately, however, she's just been down. Skeptical. Irritated. _Annoying. _

Leave it to sweet ol' Matthew to be her pick-me-up. Since Lukie was MIA at dinner (so was Mathias, which was really making me twitchy), she returned to the BTT's table and struck up a conversation with Mattie. They caught up on everything they'd missed since Caliegh started dating Lukas, and I realized with a pang that Matthew really relied on my sister's friendship. I hope she realized that.

I guess I was relieved to see my twin smiling sincerely again. At the same time, I knew it wouldn't last, so I'd have to hit the nail on the head here. Resolve the problem at its core. So, on the way up to our dormitory, I got straight to the point. "Do you still convinced our boyfriends are cheating on us?"

My heart gave a little pang of guilt as the blissful smile that had been present since dinner vanished without a trace. Why would I feel bad about causing my sister pain when I act like I hate her, you ask? Well, the key word there is "act." She's my _twin; _I love that bitch. "…Yes," she answered flatly.

I let out a heavy sigh. I saw that reply coming, so why did it peeve me? "_Look. _We NEED to get this whole thing cleared up. They're roomies, right? I say we march right up to their dorm, and see if they're there. Maybe they went to bed way early, or Lukas is pummeling Mathias again, or they're doing homework, or they're sick. If they ain't there, then we'll figure that out when we get there."

Caliegh rolled her eyes in annoyance, either at my use of the word "ain't" or my hasty plan in general. I could tell she had a lot of responses at ready, but she settled with: "How do you even know what room is theirs?"

A light blush rose to my cheeks; I wasn't about to reveal that Mathias and I had experienced a little make out session in his dorm. "Mathias… told me. Now come _on._" Before Caliegh could protest, I grabbed her by the wrist and pulled her the rest of the way up the stairs.

That brat dug her heels into the carpet as I made to turn right toward the boys' dorms as opposed to left for the girls'. "Do you realize what you're doing? Those are the _boys' _dorms! What if we get caught?"

I was so not in the mood for a lecture from her. "Do you want to find out if our boyfriends are gay or not?" Caliegh froze on the spot, then slackened. She allowed me to drag her the rest of the way to dorm 203.

Knocking probably would have been the right thing to do, but if Lukas and Mathias were doing anything suspicious, that'd give them a chance to recover and act natural. So, I twisted at the doorknob; good. Unlocked. My heart was hammering now, my palms sweating slightly, and I don't even know why. I expected to swing open the door and see two guys- _our _two guys- fast asleep, or sitting up coughing, or slaving over homework.

What I actually came across was the _last _thing I would have contently predicted.

Have I mentioned how much I love yaoi? Because God, I love yaoi. I can stay up all night re-watching _Junjou Romantica _and R-rated OVAs and reading boy x boy slash fan fictions. I can't explain my love for it; I just _do. _I love it more than straight love or lesbian love combined. That does not, under _any circumstances, _mean I would be glad to see some hot boy-on-boy action between a guy and my boyfriend.

But that's what I found.

If it was anyone besides my and my sister's boyfriends, I would have had to choke back a squeal of delight. In this case, however, the only sound I had to restrain was one of utter terror. Lukas was lying down on his bed- or Mathias's, I don't care nor do I give a damn- with Mathias straddling his hips, the Norwegian's pale hands practically clawing at _my boyfriend's _face while Mathias had one beneath Lukas's back, and the other slid under his shoulders: a position he had held me in multiple times before.

"Holy. _Shit," _I murmured. Yeah, there was a countless array of more intelligent responses I could have utilized, but it's hard to think straight when your heart is shattering to a billion pieces.

Mathias sprung upright like a dog who'd been whistled at; Lukas was more dazed, slowly bringing his hands back down to rest on the bed. "Gabby! U-uh, hey, babe! I can explain!"

"Yeah, so can I. You've been lying to me this whole time," I spat. My tone of voice was a pretty weird one: I was aiming for bitterness, yet there were tiny little tears welling up in my eyes, the realization that I'd been in denial this whole time and actually did share Caliegh's state of panic dawned on me, and somewhere deep inside I couldn't deny that these two men were pretty damn adorable together.

"Not lying to you, just… Keeping secrets!" Mathias sputtered, as if that would help his cause. I think I heard Lukas muttered something similar to "Idiot."

I clenched my fists, blinking quickly and drawing in a deep breath. "Well it's time to get everything out in the open, I'd say. Are you gonna be honest with me?" Mathias nodded his head multiple times; for once, his aura of stupidity wasn't adorable. "Then… Do you actually love me?"

"_Ja, _Gabby. _Ja, _I do! You're an awesome chick." That made a minuscule smile form at the corners of my mouth, despite the throbbing in my chest. "But, I've known Lukie since we were kiddos, and I realized at a really bad time how much I love _him. _And I love you more like a uh, sister. A cousin, maybe."

Well at least it wasn't all a _total _lie. Call me crazy, but for whatever reason, that tiny smile on my face just kept growing. Whether it was faked or real, I can't honestly say. "Can we still be friends?" I asked weakly. Mathias looked oddly relieved.

"Uh huh! _Ja, _we can totally be friends… So you're, not mad?"

There was a pretty tense silence for a moment. "…Nah. You didn't wanna hurt me by breaking up with me, right?"

Mathias blinked. "_Ja, _that's, exactly it." Something tells me that _wasn't _exactly it, but I like to believe it was.

I must _really _be crazy, because not only was my smile continuing to gradually grow, I also let out a short laugh. "Besides, you two are way better for each other. I should've expected this," I said as much to myself as to Mathias.

The next silence was more awkward than anything. "…So… See you later, buddy?"

Never would I have imagined how much it would hurt to be called "buddy" instead of "babe." Still, I nodded and started backing toward the door. "See ya, pal," I choked out. Nonetheless, I was _still _smiling. I decided a handshake would just be stupid, and a hug would be too dangerous, so after one final glance into those beautiful blue eyes of his, I turned on my heel and sped into the hall without even noticing my sister.

I admit, my insecurities really helped soften the blow. I was fortunate to have been with such a phenomenal guy for more than a couple days, let alone the months Mathias and I had lasted. I never believed I'd end up in a _real _relationship; I always expected to be used, or dated insincerely. The closest I'd ever come to having a boyfriend was when I'd had a gigantic crush on my best guy friend, who came out as bi to me. Of course, I was totally accepting of this… But I was scared. What if he accepted when I asked me out, just to use me as a cover for his gay side? Ever since, I'd kind of given up on being serious about guys.

As I wandered back up to my dorm, almost tripping up every other stair, my smile had not yet faded. Instead, it was growing shaky, and tears were blinding my vision. I really had loved Mathias, and I was stupid to think for one second that he returned the feeling. I wouldn't allow myself to be injured by this; I had to be strong and get the hell over it. Because of this, I never even acknowledged that the moment I sat on my bed, I began to sob.


	18. Chapter 17

**_Chapter Seventeen_**

**_Caliegh's POV_**

…What the _hell_ had we just walked in on.

When Gabby opened the door, the sight that welcomed me wasn't actually that welcoming. Mathias was on top of Lukas, knees against either side of his waist. Lukas's hands were both on Mathias's face, as if holding him in place while they both kissed heatedly. However, Mathias's head shot right up when Gabby said something, while Lukas slowly brought his hand down in a manner that almost said, "Oops, they found us." Like he didn't even care.

Gabby's breakup was much nicer than I anticipated mine to be. They agreed to still be friends, which was kind of nice in a way. I, however, was not going to let this go. Lukas had cheated on me. He told me that he loved me multiple times throughout our relationship, yet he _still_ was purely in love with Mathias. Who messes with a girl's mind like that?! I barely acknowledged the tears brimming in Gabby's eyes as she rushed past me down the hall and down the stairs rapidly to our dorm. Instead I stood silently in the doorway, giving the two boys a cold stare.

Lukas slowly sat up, swinging his legs over the edge of the bed so he could stand. "Caliegh, I can expla-" I held up my hand to stop him midsentence.

"Let me guess: the pixies did it?" I spat. Okay, I hadn't intended for it to come out so rude. Woops.

Lukas glared at me with his vacant eyes, which was a little terrifying. But I stood my ground and didn't remove my stare from him. I wanted him to know just how angry I was with him; I wasn't going to flee. Out of my peripheral vision, I noticed Mathias had crept into the bathroom to avoid hearing the coming argument or even being pulled into it.

"No, Caliegh. It was _not_ the pixies." He said, his voice like steel. I hate to say it, but the tone of his voice made me lose my composure; the only person I'd heard him use that tone with was Mathias, back when he "hated" him. I fell back a step, shaking my head.

"What made you cheat on me like you did? Was I never good enough? Were you just using me to make Mathias _jealous_?" I snapped again. Sheesh, the only time I'd been this unpleasant to someone had been in eighth grade to a girl who had gotten on my last nerve…

"It wasn't any of that, Caliegh. It was the fact that we were too similar, too much like close friends."

"Oh, really. And you couldn't have told me."

"No…"

"So you've been keeping secrets from me? Lying to me? What about all those times you told me that you loved me?" I was tearing up at this point. "The times…the times you had kissed me?" Silence fell over us like a blanket. He had no response. Instead he simply walked closer to me, so close that I had to tilt my head up just to look into his eyes.

…Those vacant, emotionless, _lying_ eyes.

"If I had told you, then you wouldn't have loved me like you did." He said, placing a hand on my cheek.

I stiffened. Feeling his cold hand on my cheek again made me want to smack him, but I contained myself. "Exactly…" I muttered softly. "Now I _can't_ love you anymore." Before I even knew what was happening, he had placed both his hands on the wall behind me, trapping me. He pressed his lips to mine for a few second, but I had put my hands on his chest and pushed as hard as I could. He stumbled back. Why was he messing with my head like this?! "What the hell was that for?" I shrieked, my voice rising in pitch. At this point, tears had begun to leak down my cheeks.

"Just one last kiss." Lukas said, holding up one finger. "I needed it." My shoulders fell in exasperation.

"Needed it, eh…" I raised a hand to my cheek to realize the tears were there, and I quickly rubbed them away. "You're making me cry, damn it…" I said, still rubbing at my eyes. Lukas's expression somewhat softened, and he opened his mouth to say something, but instead I turned on my heel and ran quickly down the hall.

I stopped at a dorm room, rapidly pounding on the door. The door opened, and I immediately threw myself in Matthew's arms, sobbing. Matthew blinked a couple of times before closing the door behind us and wrapping his arms around me. "Caliegh…? What's wrong?" He said softly. I shook my head rapidly, clenching the soft fabric of his red sweatshirt.

"L-Lukas, he…" I took a shaky breath, "He was cheating on me w-with Mathias…!" I pulled back from him, cleaning my glasses off on the end of my shirt. "And then, a-after we walked in on them practically eating each other's faces off, he _kisses_ me…as if he h-hasn't screwed with me ENOUGH…"

"Hey, hey…calm down, eh…" Matthew said, slowly pulling me over to the bed where he sat down next to me, looking at me. "I've never seen you so upset before."

"Yeah, well…"

"I don't like it." I gazed at him as he said these words, more tears threatening to spill.

"…M-Matthew…" I whimpered, burying my face in his shoulder. The sweet smell of syrup came to me when I hugged him, and I realized just how much I missed being with him. I _needed_ him; otherwise I'd be pretty lonely. I sure hoped he realized how much I depended on his friendship.

Matthew slowly rubbed my back in a comforting manner. "Caliegh," He whispered, "did you really love him?" I coughed slightly, my tears suddenly coming to an abrupt halt.

"…I…no," I said slowly.

And sadly, it was the truth. If I really loved him, I probably wouldn't have been so angry with him that he was cheating on me. I'd probably be even _more_ broken down than I was now, yet I'd still want to forgive him. I wouldn't have shoved him away. I realized that even though he was a wonderful person, he was right. We were much too similar to be dating. He was also older; I just didn't know how I put up with being younger than the guy I was dating. Also, it seemed as if he were forced to ask me out. He blamed our first kiss on the "pixies" and also accused them of making him ask me out. So maybe…maybe he never really liked me.

Matthew sighed, and he closed his eyes halfway, hugging me slightly tighter. "Then you don't deserve him." I choked back a sob, nodding my head.

"I know I don't…" I slowly laid my head down in his lap, attempting to control my cries, but the tears kept coming. Because once you start crying, you just can't stop. Matthew ran his fingers through my hair, brushing out each individual wisp of blonde curls so that they entwined around his fingers. For some reason, I wished that the syrup smell from his hands would transfer to my hair or something. That'd be nice. That way he could always be with me in theory, and I could always have that wonderful scent next to me.

I don't know when or even why it happened, but I eventually cried myself to sleep in his lap. Any event after that was pretty much fuzzy in my head since I was almost in a deep sleep, but I remember one thing that stuck out to me:

Matthew had kissed my cheek when I had fallen asleep.


	19. Chapter 18

**_Chapter Eighteen_**

**_Gabby's POV_**

I handled my breakup with Mathias much differently than most girls handle theirs.

Most girls stuff themselves with comfort foods like chocolate; I'm not a chocolate person, and I usually pig out on snacks anyway. So that wasn't anything different. Most girls curse their ex's very soul for breaking their heart, or yearn to keep up a friendship with them; I did both. Most girls sob their little eyes out at the thought of their failed relationship; I simply _teared up. _Most girls watch sappy movies while hugging a pillow to their chest; I watched anime I'd been holding off on. Most girls avoid their ex for a while after their breakup; …I did that. Most girls question their worth and existence; I also did that. Most girls rant and whine to their friends; I… _mostly _contained my tirades.

Okay, so maybe I didn't handle it _so _differently. But there is one method I utilized that I'm sure is pretty damn unique. I mean, how often do you ask a girl, "How did you cope with your breakup?" and their response is "Ah, I joined the Magic Club!"

See, word of the schools' clubs starting up had been circulating around the school for a few days now. The official listing had been handed out in homeroom the day after my breakup. I intended to sit with Mathias, I really did… But he had taken my seat, and Berwald was sitting where Mathias usually did. Either I stepped on a pencil and broke it in half, or I seriously heard my heart shatter. If we were going to stay true to our word and remain friends, we obviously weren't starting now.

Well now I needed somewhere to sit. There were a few empty desks toward the back of the room, but I didn't want to look like some lonely loser. Then again, the blow that being cheated on left on me made me kind of feel like I was.

Bad depressive thoughts. _Bad. _I needed happiness, God damn it.

I was beginning to feel pretty hopeless, like I was going to have to stand in the doorway for the 5 minutes until the bell, when a certain book cover caught my eye. The fourth book in the _Harry Potter _series, to be exact. And the boy that was reading it had an unoccupied desk right beside him. _Score._ "Uh, hey… Is that _The Goblet of Fire?_" Wow, Gabby, real smooth. Of course it was _The Goblet of Fire! _I hoped that this guy would discard my awkwardness, but when he looked up after a second (I think he was finishing a sentence), I could tell he was slightly peeved.

"Yes, why."

"It's just my favorite one in the series," I answered, slowly sliding into the desk to his right. That dash of annoyance was still present in his emerald colored eyes, though some sort of interest now blanketed it.

"Really? Mine too… This is my fourth time reading it." Whoa, whoa, whoa. Hold up. Were my ears deceiving me, or was that… an authentic British accent? I'm that type of girl that's a _sucker _for British accents. It's the only one I can manage to duplicate, and hearing someone speak in one is usually like hearing a million gently ringing bells. But I'd only ever heard one on TV; never in person.

Well, an upside to being single is that now I can check guys out without feeling guilty. This guy was plain, in an adorable sort of way. His hair was scruffy and blonde, and seemed like it could never be tidy. Just like Harry Potter's. The guy looked familiar, too… Ah, yes. He sat at one of the circular tables adjacent to the Nordics' in the cafeteria, off in a corner with nobody sitting with him besides this one guy with longish hair that was a strange combination of red, brown, and sandy blonde.

I almost forgot to respond to his comment. "I've read the whole series twice… I own all the books and most of the movies."

Something told me this guy was a real bookworm, so I was pretty damn honored that he marked his page and closed the book in order to talk to me. "I have all of both of them. I've seen the movies at _least _6 times each."

"The books are always better, though… The movies are _so _inaccurate."

"Especially _The Order of the Phoenix_," we said in unison, causing identical grins to appear on our faces.

"I'm Gabby," I told him. He might've known that, since we were in the same homeroom an everything, but then again I didn't know _his _name.

"Arthur Kirkland. A pleasure to make your acquaintance." Yeah, this guy was totally not American, because he held his hand out for me to shake it. Which I did.

I was about to ask him for his favorite character, when the person sitting in front of me placed a thin stack of papers on my desk. Simultaneous to passing all but one to the people behind me, I started looking over the paper and saw it was a list of clubs, with their sponsors, room numbers, and a sentence or two about their purpose. Art Club, Choral Club, Gourmet Food Club, Music Club, Newspaper Club, Swimming Club … There were at least 20 more, but one stood out to me: the Magic Club, sponsored by Arthur Kirkland and Vasilica Lupei.

"Magic Club, eh? What plans d'you have for that?" I asked Arthur, looking up at him. He appeared a conflicting combination of humbled and proud.

"Vaguely, yes. We plan on doing something involving Harry Potter, learning about the history of magic as well as magical _creatures_, and…" His prideful smile suddenly faltered, and he coughed into his fist with a slight blush. Those gorgeous green eyes of his had been closed, but now he just plain refused to meet my gaze. "Well, I thought I'd show the members some dark magic."

I guess he expected me to look at him like a freak, or maybe even get up and leave, but instead I just grinned. I'm probably the only girl on the planet that never wanted to be a princess when I grew up; still, I've always yearned to believe in magic and especially anything supernatural. "Dark magic, huh? Do you know how to do that?" I made sure to keep sincerity in my voice and sarcasm out.

Arthur looked taken quite aback. "…Well, yes, but I haven't practiced in a while…"

"Still! If you know _any, _I'd love to learn some. I'm sure I can't do it, but it'd be cool to watch. Where do I sign up?"

Ladies and gentleman, I officially made a new friend. His smile was evidence of that. "There should be signup sheets in the office by this evening," he answered gently. I saluted, and almost wished I could dismantle all the clocks in the school so that damn dismissal bell didn't have to ring.

Our school must have been filled with hardasses. I mean, come on. The _Magic _Club. Not being interested in that would be like not being interested in Disneyland or childhood dreams come true. Nonetheless, when the first meeting came around, there were extremely few members: the sponsors (Vasilica is the guy that sits with Arthur at lunch, it turns out), me, and because why the hell should I be allowed to have my own little chunk of happiness, Caliegh. Arthur said most people must've gotten the dates mixed up, but I could tell he was sincerely disappointed.

"So I was thinking we could spend this meeting coming up with an agenda… We already know for sure we'll dedicate a day to discussing Harry Potter spells, characters, plot, etcetera; a day to learning about magical creatures- unicorns, elves, the differences between fairies and pixies, and so on," I had to cough back a laugh at how seriously he was talking about fairies and unicorns, "and as many days as we see necessary shall be dedicated to demonstrations of dark magic." He looked back and forth between the three of us, all sitting around at desks arranged in a circle. "Does anyone have any other ideas?"

Vasilica raised his hand, grinning. "I was thinking we could talk about how wrong stereotypes about vampires are." His accent sounded kind of Russian, but I remember being told he's Romanian.

A slight annoyed sigh left Arthur's lips. "That doesn't involve magic, Vasil. But I'll jot that down in case we're in dire need of ideas." So he scribbled that on a notepad.

I raised my hand halfway with my elbow leaning on the desk. "We could like… Try out cheesy little magic tricks that magicians do. Y'know, pulling a rabbit out of a hat, card tricks…" I suggested.

God damn it, I really wished I wasn't so sensitive. Arthur's look of reluctance should not have wounded me like it did. "That's a good idea, though I was thinking we should stick to more traditional magic…" I think he saw the hurt in my expression, because he quickly added, "But we can still save that!" And he wrote it down.

Now Caliegh spoke up. Hip hip hooray. "How about instead of just discussing Harry Potter, we could also have a movie night?" Shit, why hadn't I thought of that?! It was so obvious, yet it made Arthur's face absolutely light up.

"Brilliant! We could change those meeting times to later, or simply have movie nights outside of meetings… Yes, I like it." Nodding multiple times, he quickly jotted that down as well. A slight smile appeared on Caliegh's face, and I wished I could return it.

"And what about actually _learning _spells, instead of just watching them? That would be marvelous…"

Again, Arthur nodded, and scribbled away on his notepad. I slid down in my chair so only my eyes and above were visible, crossing my arms. Hadn't I kind of suggested that earlier, by saying that I'd love to learn magic myself? Leave it to Caliegh to steal my thunder…

No. I couldn't get pissy about this. I was going to have fun here, even if it killed me.

Arthur flipped back to his old notes then to his newer ones, nodding seemingly in approval. "This should hold us for now. I'll write up a schedule with what we have."

"Perhaps you should post the schedule outside the classroom?" I know she couldn't see it, but I shot Caliegh a glare that just _dared _her to say one more good idea. To make Arthur smile at her like he'd been waiting his entire life to meet her.

Whatever. _She _didn't get to sit with him in homeroom every morning. _She _didn't learn he comes from a family of 5 boys and 1 girl. _She _didn't know that he secretly loved the band One Direction. _She _didn't already have inside jokes with him. And _I'm _never going to get over how lucky I am to have sat next to him that one fateful morning when I couldn't sit with Mathias.


	20. Chapter 19

**_Chapter Nineteen_**

**_Caliegh's POV _**

Sometimes, I want to curse myself out for having the ability to be musically talented. I mean, yes, I love that I can pull a bow across a violin and it won't sound like a dying cat. I love that I can look at a sheet of music, and the sound of it will start playing through my head. However, certain events took place that just makes me wish I was never born.

I was sitting at my desk in the music classroom, happily chatting with one of the younger students at the end of class. I'd always enjoyed talking to younger students; for some reason they looked up to me. The bell rang, signaling the end of the day, and we took that as our cue to sling our bags over our shoulders and head down to our dorms.

"Caliegh," I whipped my head around at the sound of my name, only to see the music instructor, Mr. Edelstein, gazing at me. "May I see you for a moment?" Damn it, what did I do?! I thought back to the one time I was whispering to the girl next to me while he was teaching us, but I didn't think he had noticed! My younger friend had smirked and went, "Oooooh," but I ignored her and walked to the desk in the corner of the classroom. Mr. Edelstein waited until everyone had left the classroom, then he turned to me again and sat in his chair. I was getting nervous; I was shaking just slightly. "Now Caliegh, I'm sure you're aware that you are very skilled with music."

"Ah, thank you, sir…" I remembered that he had been the one to give me the scholarship.

"I want to place you in a higher level class, Ms. Higgins." My heart probably skipped a beat at that moment.

"A-a higher level class, sir?" He nodded, perching his head on his hands.

"I wanted to when you first got here, but the school board wouldn't let me. They said to give it time. So I did, and now I know you should be placed in the upper level." My face flushed, so I glanced down at the ground and clutched my music folder closer to my chest.

"Thank you, Mr. Edelstein." I looked back at him and gave a nervous smile, which he returned.

"From now on, this will be a free period. I would like for you to come during your usual study hall. Is that alright?" I nodded slowly. That'll be hard to get used to. "Thank you, that's all I needed." I nodded again, turning on my heel and walking quickly to my dorm.

O~O~O~O~O~O

Of course, I kept my promise and came down to the classroom during my usual study hall period. Adjusting the strap to my bag, I paused before opening the door. I wondered how many people would be in this class…I pushed open the door, and my breath caught in my throat.

Unfortunately, I kind of expected this to happen. He told me he played violin, and even showed me once. He was very skilled with the string instrument.

But I hadn't prepared to see Lukas Bondevik sitting in a chair, gazing out the window with a bored expression. Then again, he always had that expression. It still terrified me to see my ex sitting there. I slowly crept around him to sit in the seat farthest away from him, the closest to the teacher's desk. At this motion he saw me and averted his eyes to watch me as I nervously slid my bag under my chair.

Mr. Edelstein stood up at the front of the classroom, and he started telling us about the history of Tchaikovsky. I tuned out about halfway through his lecture, my brain trailed to the fact that Lukas was sitting just ten people away from me. I tried to ignore it for the most part.

I snapped out of it when I realized my name had been called. "U-uh, yes sir?" Mr. Edelstein was looking right at me.

"Can you tell me several of Tchaikovsky's most famous pieces?" I swallowed nervously, thinking through a list of the songs.

"Ah…1812 Overture, Romeo and Juliet Overture…and…Russian Dance…?" I said, my voice rising at the end so that it sounded more like a question than an answer. Mr. Edelstein nodded, and I felt the corners of my lips curve into a smile.

"Now class, Ms. Higgins once performed Russian Dance on the piano for a concert. Am I correct?" I froze, sliding down in my seat nervously. That was the piece I had performed when he gave me that scholarship…

"Yes, sir…"

"Would you mind playing it for us now?" He said, motioning to the grand piano in the left corner of the large classroom. At the moment, it seemed miles away. I slowly stood, adjusting my glasses and walking slowly to the piano. I sat down carefully, staring down at the keys. Mr. Edelstein came from behind me, placing several sheets of music in front of me. I nodded in thanks, took a deep breath, then began playing.

After I finished, there was a silence for a few seconds that seemed to swirl around the classroom. Suddenly, a few faint claps echoed off the walls, and eventually the whole class was clapping in approval. Even Mr. Edelstein, who was known to not smile since "there wasn't reason to", was actually smiling at me and clapping along with the few students in the class. My heart was beating quickly and I stood and bowed, quickly shuffling back to my seat. I hated being a showoff. I don't know why, but it irked me when people told me, "You're so good at _!" Mainly because I didn't know what to say. So when I sat down and got a billion compliments thrown at me, I wanted to crawl in a hole and never come out.

The one thing that bothered me was the fact that Lukas had only given a few claps of his hands then didn't say a word to me and simply left the classroom at the end of class. As if we were competing in a competition and I had just won by a longshot. I don't even know _why_ it bothered me so much; it just did.

"Ms. Higgins?" I stopped once again at the end of my class, turning to face Mr. Edelstein.

"Yes, sir?" I muttered. I stepped over to him, having to look up a good five inches or so. He flashed another one of those rare smiles at me, placing a hand on my shoulder.

"Good job, Caliegh. I'm very impressed." I froze when he touched me; it almost reminded me of my middle school choir director. Except this wasn't as strange, seeing as Mr. Edelstein was only actually a couple of years older than I was. However, he was still a teacher. So naturally I felt a little strange inside, like something was clenching at my insides. For some reason, his congratulations made me feel somewhat good about myself.

I brushed a strand of hair out of my face, smiling awkwardly at him. "Thank you," I said. It strangely reminded me of the time after that concert…I regained my composure and gave a grateful smile. No need to act all nervous around a teacher.

Mr. Edelstein removed his hand from my shoulder, instead gently patting it as he once again told me congratulations. I could do nothing more than smile. In all the hassle of him discussing something about how "amazing" I was, I noticed something that made my stomach give a sudden lurch that I wanted to shake away, something that made me want to scream and rip all my hair out for thinking such a horrid thought.

He had the most gorgeous _violet_ eyes.

O~O~O~O~O~O

When I got back to the dorms that day, I walked in on Gabby sitting on her bed, lightly strumming at her guitar. She was humming under her breath as she playing, watching her fingers as she pressed down on the strings. Personally, I hated playing the guitar. It hurt my fingers even worse than the violin, and it was just plain annoying to learn all those chords. I don't know how she even did it.

"What're you doing, Sister Dearest?" I said, casually sitting down at the desk chair and crossing my ankles. She looked up at me, probably slightly annoyed that I had interrupted her.

"Playing guitar."

"Whyyyyyy."

"…Because I feel like it?" Alright, time to have fun. A smirk formed on my lips, and I crossed my arms.

"Hey, you know who plays guitar?" I said mischievously. Gabby just stared at me for a moment and stopped strumming random chords.

"Who."

"You do. And lots of famous people, like Taylor Swift…" She just gave me this look that read, "Are you stupid," then threw a pillow at my head. Okay, _ow_. She always did manage to injure me in one way or another…"Okay, okay. I'm done playing now."

"Who were you gonna say?" She inquired. My previous smirk appeared once more.

"_Alfred. _Your dearest best friend." I teased. She stayed silent for a moment, as if trying to decipher what I just said.

"Yeah, he does," She muttered, blushing. Once again she turned back to her precious instrument. I thought back to the amount of times when we were younger when she would make gagging noises when I mentioned my music, then I really wondered why, since she was just as fond of her guitar.

"So…Magic Club was fun the other day, eh." I said. Well wasn't I just talkative today? Gabby nodded, ditching her guitar. She must've known that she had no hope in playing it in peace. "Isn't Arthur just charming?" I added.

"Mhm."

"Reminds me of Arthur from Kindergarten." Gabby tilted her head slightly, leaning back against the backboard to the bed. I smiled, hugging the pillow she had thrown at me to my chest. "He was blonde, wasn't he? Just a little ball of joy."

"Oh my god, I remember him…We had the biggest little kid crush on him." She said, giggling to herself.

"_You _did. I simply wanted to be his friend." I said, nodding once.

We were silent for a few moments until she opened her mouth, closed it again, then said, "He liked jellyfish." That did it. I pretty much burst out laughing, and she joined my laughter.

"He would always make us turn the page of our big alphabet book to the J page so he could look at the jellyfish!" I said between fits of giggles.

"And I remember you would cover your eyes and shriek because jellyfish were scary!" Gabby said, chuckling.

My smile faded, looking at her seriously. "Hey. Jellyfish are terrifying creatures." At the word "creatures", my smile returned and we both broke out into another fit of laughter. I was shaking my head rapidly, clutching the pillow tightly as we laughed.

"Do you remember Zack Attack?" Gabby said, grinning at me. I gave her a look that said, "Don't you dare."

"I hated him, okay. He would stalk me and always be like, 'Oh, Caliegh! I love you!'" I made a kissy face and reached my arms out as if I was reaching out to someone. Gabby laughed.

"He really was annoying," Our laughter faded into nothing but a few smiles, and eventually I gave a sigh and slid down in the chair.

"It's dinner time…" I muttered, glancing at the clock on my nightstand.

"So it is." Gabby said, swinging her legs over the edge of the bed and standing up. I pursed my lips, holding out my hand to her. She just raised her eyebrows at me, grabbed me by the wrist, but pulled me so hard that I staggered forward and into the dresser.

"I heard your wrist pop when I grabbed you." She said with slight bemusement. I shook my head, skipping in front of her to open the door. We both walked down to the dining hall, and in my happy mood, I rushed to our table and attacked Matthew in a huge hug from behind as he was standing to get his dinner. The hug caught him so off-guard that he stumbled slightly and braced his palms against the table to keep from falling over.

"Who's the most brilliant best friend in the entire world, hm?" I said, perching my chin on his shoulder. He smiled down at me.

"You, obviously."

"I meant you, but close enough." I said, laughing.

"Well aren't you in a good mood." Francis said.

"She's as bad as Antonio." Gabby said, shaking her head.

"So who'd she fu-" Gilbert started, but Francis clapped a hand over his mouth.

"Don't ruin their moment, Gilly," He muttered under his breath. I managed to somehow let their conversation pass. Instead I walked with Matthew to get dinner, telling him about the whole I'm-in-an-advanced-music-class thing. I don't know what it was, but just thinking about Matthew made my heart race in a certain way I don't think it ever did before. It made me unbelievably happy to know that every day I could see him.

…Something was definitely wrong with me.


	21. Chapter 20

**_Chapter Twetny_**

**_Gabby's POV_**

A week had gone by, and I still haven't spoken with Mathias.

It was a comfort to hope he was just so love struck for Lukas that he wasn't talking to anyone but his new boyfriend, though that reassurance only lasted so long: he greeted Alfred, Arthur, and the other Nordics just as he always had. When he looked at me, on the other hand, it was literally as if I was invisible. No change in expression, no look of acknowledgement… He seemed to look right through me.

I liked to tell myself that I was happy for him, that I didn't mind that he totally cut me off. Deep down, though, I knew that was far from the truth. It hurt like hell, being ignored by him. He'd thrown me overboard by cheating on me, and the promise of staying friends was the only life saver I had. I missed his sense of humor; his idiocy; his contagious goofy grin… Then again, I had a feeling I wouldn't genuinely smile around him anymore. After all, the fake smiles I fruitlessly aimed at him whenever we passed were starting to get old.

"You look down, _mon ami_." I didn't even look up when Francis spoke at lunch one day, because I figured he was just talking to whoever happened to be sitting next to me. Yeah, I was feeling a little out of it, but that was because it was a Thursday morning and I was fricking tired. Only when I felt Francis staring at me did I slowly turn to look at him. I jumped slightly.

"Oh, you were talking to me! Sorry, I thought…" I shook my head, flapping my hand and putting on a grin. "I'm fine, don't worry."

Francis shook his head, putting on a weird lopsided frown that gave him a look of determination. "You look like you need a break. Like you need to hang out with some girl friends or something…" I blinked. Back in middle school, I'd eagerly anticipate weekends mainly because I could hang out with some of my gal pals: the one method of escape and relaxation I had except for wasting hours away online. I never really had super cool friends, but we weren't outcasts, either, and the feeling of fitting in with a group really helped me hold onto sanity. Now, however, I did admittedly have around 10 female companions that I'd talk to in class and stuff, but we weren't _super _close. If I'd known them back in New Jersey, they'd be those friends that I like yet I'd never invite over my house and rarely texted them.

Now, don't get me wrong, I was more than happy to have the guy friends I did here at Hetalia Academy. Being accepted by some really awesome dudes did wonders for my self esteem. Still, I couldn't talk about the teenage girl necessities like bras and PMS with them, plus there was the huge risk of falling in love and destroying our friendship. Yeah, I'm bi, but I'd fallen for a female friend like, 3% of the time. The chances of me going head over heels for a _male _friend was a minimum of 80%. I'm a mess.

"Bitch, please." Francis narrowed his eyes slightly at the sound of Alfred's voice. I faced him to see he was talking with half a mouthful of food, pointing at us with a fry. No wonder Francis looked like he was in the presence of a dead skunk. "She don't need to hang out with other chicks; she needs to shoot somethin'!" I simply gaped at him, about to comment, when I noticed that he was moving his pointer fingers and thumbs as if operating an invisible video game controller. Okay, that made sense.

"Is there even a place to play video games here?" I questioned, tilting my head and raising an eyebrow.

Alfred let out one of his signature obnoxious laughs. I'd gotten so used to them that I didn't even flinch. "Uh huh, I've got an Xbox in mah dorm." Oh, that's right, he must have had one of those higher class dorms that came complete with extra features, including a television. They were _way _too expensive for my dad to afford, which makes me wonder why Caliegh hadn't purchased one… Guess she was just a cheapskate.

"So, what, you're invitin' me to play some vidjo games with ya?" Francis gave me a look that said "You did _not _just say '_vidjo'" _while Alfred absolutely beamed. He nodded, with a casual shrug that didn't really go with his excited expression.

"Or just hang out in my dorm. Whichever."

I raised my eyebrows as I took a sip of water. "In your dorm? Won't I get in trouble for being there?"

"You didn't seem to have a problem goin' up to Thias's dorm," Alfred pointed out.

Shit. I forgot about how gossip spread like wildfire around this school. My expression fell drastically, and I swear I gave off a real negative aura. I didn't even realize I had crushed my water bottle. "Now _why _would you bring that up? How heartless of you," Francis practically hissed, smacking Alfred's arm with the back of his hand. I planned on kicking Alfred in the shin under the table, but decided my heartbroken expression was painful enough for my idiot friend.

"Sorry, man…. But seriously. _Nobody _follows that rule, you'll be fine! So whataya say. Chill with me later, after last period?"

I bit the inside of my cheek, thinking this over. Any homework I'd have to complete by tomorrow could easily be finished in study hall, so the only thing I would be losing by hanging out with Alfred was my internet time. Which really, I could do with less of.

"Sure, sounds like a plan," I agreed.

So now I stood in the doorway of Alfred's dorm, knocking on the door and being quite surprised to see Arthur be the one to open the door. "Gabby? What are you doing here?" he asked, clearly taken as aback as me.

"I can ask you the same thing."

Arthur raised an eyebrow, gradually slipping past me into the hall. "This is my dorm…"

I blinked, a streak of panic sizzling my heart. Was Alfred just as much of an asshole as the next guy, and had given me the wrong room number? Or maybe I'd memorized an incorrect number…. "Yo, 'sup Gabs?" The all-too-familiar American voice snapped me out of my worrisome thoughts.

Arthur's jaw fell agape. "_She's _the girl you're having over tonight?" He looked back and forth between the two of us as if watching a rapid-fire tennis match.

"Yup! Why?" Alfred smiled dumbly at the Englishman until gears seemed to turn in his head. "Oh yeah, you know her, right? You were fanboying over her after-"

"I was not _fanboying," _Arthur insisted heatedly, a light blush on his cheeks. "I was simply explaining that I'd made a new friend."

Aw, Arthur had been talking about me? For some reason, that made me suddenly giddy. "Don't you have some bibbity-bobbity-booing to do?" teased Alfred. Arthur's fake flushed even redder, only this time in irritation as opposed to embarrassment. Muttering something about taking dark magic lightly, he curtly nodded his head at me before rushing off down the stairs.

"Well gosh, who pissed in _his _tea." I personally regretted that comment the moment it left my lips- it seemed awkward and stupid, plus kind of mean- yet Alfred found it absolutely hilarious. He laughed so hard that tears came to his eyes, and I couldn't help but join him. Shaking his head and trying to tame his mirth, he motioned me into his room and closed the door behind him.

The two halves of the dorm were even more opposite than mine and Caliegh's. One was extremely well kempt, with a made British flag themed bed, a single dresser, an antique-looking side table with a laptop closed atop of it, a floor-to-ceiling bookshelf, and a wall covered in a neat arrangement of post cards plus smallish posters of Harry Potter, Doctor Who, and one of One Direction.

The other half's bed was unmade to the point that you couldn't tell what was a blanket and what was a sheet, a dresser with a television on the surface and the top drawer open to provide a place for a couple gaming systems (with wires reaching up to the TV), another larger dresser with pant legs, socks, and t-shirt hems sticking out of the drawers, a crate overflowing with papers that seemed to be sheet music, an electric guitar plugged into an amp, and walls covered in posters of baseball stars, Nicki Minaj, and girls in bikinis posing in front of hot rods and pickups.

It was pretty obvious to tell whose half was whose.

"Wow, you play acoustic, too?" I commented after getting a full look-over of the room. An acoustic guitar, slightly bigger than my own, was propped against his closet door. It was crafted of some _beautiful _type of wood; mahogany, maybe?

"Chu bet! I started with that, 'cause once you master acoustic, learnin' electric is a piece of cake," Alfred explained. I nodded, drifting toward the instrument and ending up sitting on the very edge of Alfred's messy bed.

"That's exactly what my guitar instructor told me… I just never got around to learning electric, 'cause I was too broke to get a new guitar."

Alfred cocked an eyebrow, plopping down beside me. "I thought you said you taught yourself?"

Mm, so I hadn't explained this whole thing to him. "I did mostly. I got lessons for a few months back in fifth grade, but it got too expensive so I stopped… I kept the book, though, so I started reteaching myself two years later."

"Cool, cool," Alfred said, nodding twice. He leaned across my lap and grabbed the guitar firmly by the neck, nearly smacking me with it a couple times as he situated it on his on lap. Up close, I could tell the guitar was pretty aged, and some strings were obviously newer than others, yet it was kept in excellent condition.

Deciding to take a bit of a risk, I ran my fingers down the strings, and practically shivered with delight at the harmonized sound. "Dude, my guitar hasn't been this perfectly tuned for months. I lost my metronome… Think you could tune mine for me sometime?"

Alfred flashed me a toothy grin; how could anyone have such a white smile? "Totally. 'Ey, I lost my pack of picks… You got one on ya?"

"What type of guitarist doesn't?" Feeling completely shameless, I slid my hand under the blouse of my uniform and produced a purple guitar pick from the strap of my bra. Alfred choked, immediately laughing afterwards.

"You did not just do that," he snickered. I fingered the plaid material of my skirt with a shrug and a half grin.

"These skirts don't have pockets. I gotta keep my phone and shit _somewhere."_

Another earsplitting laugh from Alfred. "Pretty damn clever, if you ask me." He plucked the pick out of my hand, positioned his fingers on the strings, and started playing a song. It was pretty mellow and professional-sounding; I never would have expected a spaz like Alfred to create such a perfect noise. I tilted my head slightly, closing my eyes and (failingly) attempting to identify the notes he was playing. I was, however, struck with a sense of familiarity.

"Broken by Seether," I said impulsively. Alfred faltered his playing, looking down at me with a bemused grin. He continued to play the next line without even looking down at his instrument. Just to prove I knew exactly what I was talking about, I sung way too dramatically: "I wanted you to know, I love the way you laugh."

"Hey, not bad!" Alfred praised sarcastically. I grinned and bowed.

"Thanks, I'm here all week."

Alfred shook his head fondly and slid his guitar to the floor. In one swift movement, he attempted to slide the guitar pick back where I'd taken it out of, but with a shriek I fell backwards against the bed and smacked his hand away. "So, you a gamer?" Alfred questioned after he calmed down his laughter.

I pushed myself upright, beginning to kick my feet slightly. "Kinda… I mean, I have like, 10 Pokémon games for my DS- not the DSi, the lame old DS- and I play Skyward Sword on the Wii, plus Left 4 Dead and Assassin's Creed on the Xbox. So… not really."

From the look Alfred gave me, you'd think I'd just told him I'm a pregnant virgin. "Dude, there are chicks that only play Just Dance and call themselves gamers." I guess I made the right choice by excluding that from my list. "You're _totally _a gamer babe!" My cheeks flushed at the word "babe," but I passed it off as part of Alfred's lingo. "But hey, I got Left 4 Dead… You in?"

God, I hadn't played that game since I transferred to this school… "Hell yeah."

As Alfred turned on the Xbox and set up the game, I asked him if he could teach me the chords for Broken, or any other song for that matter. He said chords really aren't that hard to learn, and before I could get all offended he added that it's easy when you have someone to teach you. Since I had taught myself, it was only natural that I couldn't even identify an A5 from a D5.

I won't bore you non-gamer, anti-zombie-apocalypse readers with the details of how the rest of the evening unfolded. I'll just share that we ended up playing rock-paper-scissors over who got to play as the hot redneck, Ellis (I won); Alfred compared Boomers- the crazily obese zombies- to this one Cuban guy that's friends with Mattie; I unlocked 2 more achievements on Alfred's Xbox, but he got even with me by waiting up every time I fell off a roof, and taking over my controller when I got lost for the fourth time.

Now, the moral of this story is that for now, I'm gonna push down any potential romantic thoughts or feelings I harbor toward Alfred, because he is my best god damn friend _ever._


	22. Chapter 21

**_Chapter Twenty-One_**

**_Caliegh's POV _**

"So she's with Alfred, eh?" I muttered under my breath at dinner one night, noting that neither of the obnoxiously loud idiots were anywhere to be seen.

"They're up in the dorm, I believe…" Matthew said at the same volume I had.

"Well what are they even doing?" I whispered, pushing around a kernel of corn on my plate, thoroughly worried at this point. I sure hoped that Gabby hadn't moved on to Alfred, because that would mean she moved a little fast. I mean, yes, it'd been a couple of weeks since our breakup with Lukas and Mathias. But it was still much too soon to find another boyfriend.

In the midst of my thoughts, I hadn't realized Gilbert leaning in close to me. "What're _you_ two whispering about?" My eyes widened when I heard that German accent in my ear, feeling his breath against my cheek.

"Gilbert…get…_away_." From the corner of my eyes, I could see his lips curve into his signature smirk.

"Why should I? It's not like you're dating anyone. You're single,_ja_?" I paused, turning to glare at him.

"Uh, _ja_. Doesn't mean you can harass me." Gilbert got closer to me yet.

"Mm, how sexy. You're speaking my language…" With that line, I'm pretty sure he deserved that bruise he's going to have on his chest after I elbowed him so hard that he winced and slid away from me down the bench. For a few seconds, at least. Because within the next five or so seconds he had already placed himself so that his arm was wrapped around my shoulders, his hand dangerously close to my off-limits area. Matthew's eyes widened as he watched him do this, frowning slightly to himself.

"Get off."

"_Nein_."

"_Ja_." Did that really come out of my mouth as an argument? Damn it, he was rubbing off on me. His smirk deepened, and he turned to face me, putting his hands on my shoulders as if bracing me for a kiss.

"You are so cute, _liebe," _He whispered, placing a hand to my cheek and stroking it affectionately.

Much too affectionately for friends to do.

"Please…don't touch me." I stiffened as his hand trailed down my cheek, down my jaw, and stopping right at my collar bone.

"Stop, Gilbert." Matthew suddenly spoke up, and as he said this, he placed a hand on my forearm in comfort. Gilbert paused, actually looking somewhat shocked. Had Matthew really just told him off? That's right, my little Mattie isn't all shy and quiet.

Wait, he's not _my_ Mattie….

"Yeah, don't touch me." I repeated for what seemed like the tenth time in just a few minutes. I moved away, closer to Matthew. And just because I could, I hugged Matthew around the waist and stuck my tongue out at Gilbert as if to say, "Ha ha, I like him better!" Gilbert narrowed his ruby eyes slightly, pouting and turning to complain to Francis. Good, complain, Gilly!

…Okay, I don't know what had gotten into me just then, but for some reason, I wanted to make Gilbert angry with me. So because I was acting without thinking, I hugged Matthew tighter and buried my face in his shoulder, smiling. Random, pointless detail, but he _really_smelled like maple syrup.

"Kay…!" He said airily, eyes widen.

"Whaaaaat, we're best friends, right?" I said, smiling sweetly.

"Well, yes…I suppose, yes." He said, lightly patting my head, then proceeding to run his hand through my hair. I grinned; I couldn't help it. Matthew was just so cute, so addictive. Addictive…what a strange word used to describe someone. I mean, it was true. He was amazingly addictive; one of those people that you just want to hug forever, you never want to let go of.

Whoa. Whoa, Caliegh. Stop your train of thought before it goes somewhere unpredictable.

O~O~O~O~O~O

When I heard the door click open, I didn't look up from the sheet music I was flipping through on the desk. "So Gabby…where were you after last period?" I heard her footsteps pause. She was obviously trying to sneak in, supposing I wasn't there.

"…Shit." She muttered, sitting on her bed.

"Answer me."

"Alfred's dorm." My eyes widened, and I spun around in the chair, crossing my arms.

"And what, might I ask, were you doing in the boys' dorms."

"Hanging out. Playing video games, listening to him play guitar…" I stared at her.

"No lip action, no flirting?" Gabby's eyes widened with horror as she blushed furiously, looking at me like I had three heads.

"NO! Why the hell would we?!"

"None of that?" I said smirking.

"No." Gabby murmured, glaring at me. My smirk faltered and I turned back to my music, not even really interested in it anymore. I wanted to know what was going on between my sister and Alfred, my best friend's brother. But I left it at that, because I learned that if I _went_any further, she'd probably hit me. Hard. So I shut up and instead listened to the strumming of Gabby's guitar and her faint humming.

That reminded me. I needed to take some sheet music back to Mr. Edelstein.

I stood from my seat, picking up my music folder and slipping on my shoes. "Wait, where are you going?" Gabby said, looking up from her guitar.

"Not the boys' dorm, that's for sure." I turned the handle to the door, swinging it open. "The music classroom." I closed the door behind me, hugging my sweater around me. It was getting cold outside, and the hallways weren't much warmer. I quickly scurried down the stairs, then rushed down the hall to the music classroom.

The curtains had been drawn across the large floor-to-ceiling windows, and only the lights on one side of the room were on. The room was completely empty; no one was in here. I was immediately overcome with nervousness. I hated it when I was in an empty classroom alone. I always felt like someone was just going to come out from behind something and kidnap me or whatever…

I slowly walked over to the teacher's desk, carefully placing the folder on an empty spot so it didn't cover anything. I was about to turn around, but then I felt someone's presence behind me. Just then, said someone wrapped their arms around my waist and hugged tightly so I couldn't get out from his embrace.

"I knew I'd find you here, Kay." Gilbert whispered into my ear quite…seductively. I tensed, but stopped struggling against him.

"How did you even…" I said, clenching my teeth together and glaring at the ground.

"I want you to love me so I can have more fun. Wouldn't that be awesome?" He said, his hand trailing down to a belt loop on my jeans, hooking a finger through it.

"No! Don't touch me!" I smacked his hand away and managed to free myself, but only for a moment. As soon as he realized I was beginning to walk away, he grabbed ahold of my wrist and dragged me back, slamming me into the wall. "Ow! You bastard…" I muttered under my breath, ignoring the pain now forming in the back of my head. Gilbert took my wrists and pinned them against the wall above my head, leaving me defenseless. Gilbert was grinning maliciously, his face getting closer to mine with every second. _Please stop, please stop, please stop…_I thought helplessly to myself.

At the last second, his smirk faltered and he put his lips about a centimeter away from mine. "I'm just so alone, _liebling_." I closed my eyes tightly.

"But you have so many friends, idiot." He went silent, staring…_hungrily_ at me.

"Not really." At that moment, I at least felt some sympathy for him. I also wondered how much I didn't know about him. I wondered what was going on beneath that smirk, what was under those red, glinting eyes. I opened my eyes momentarily to see that he had at least backed off (though he was still holding me in place), but looked almost as if he wanted to cry. Well this was new.

"Gilbert…" I lowered my voice, looking at him sadly. "Please look at me." He did so, but now he just looked shocked with me. This was unusual for him…this seriousness. I took a deep breath, gazing up at him. "Y-you may do with me…a-as you wish." I said shakily, and again I closed my eyes, bracing myself for whatever was to happen. Instead, the pressure around my wrists loosened, and I lowered my hands to my side.

"Just go, Caliegh." I paused, opening my eyes in shock. He was staring at me, for once without the self-satisfied expression he usually had.

"Gilly," I whispered, and I slowly took his hand in mine. It kills me to say this, but he looked like he needed some serious help. So I stood on my tip-toes (he was a good seven inches taller than me) and lightly pecked him on the lips. Not wanting to hear him tease me or anything, I quickly ran out of the classroom and back up the stairs, only to rush into the dorm's bathroom and slide down the door onto the floor, covering my mouth.

What had I gotten myself into.


	23. Chapter 22

**_Chapter Twenty-Two_**

**_Gabby's POV_**

Gilbert didn't show up at breakfast the next day.

I had been in pretty high spirits that morning- I'd dreamt about going to prom with a Boomer, and was ready to share the story with my friends. Francis and Antonio, however, didn't look at all like they wanted to hear about the insane scene my subconscious mind had created. I guess the absence of their Bad Touch buddy really dampened their spirits. Let me tell you this now: seeing the two most smiley people you know looking bereft and discouraged can bring you down like nothing else.

"So uh… Lovely weather today, huh?" I commented with a forced grin. Alfred snickered at my stupid small talk starter, seeing as it was pouring outside; Francis and Antonio's expressions, however, matched the dreariness of today's weather. I coughed back my over exaggerated smile and awkwardly shoveled some cereal into my mouth, taking the hint.

"Where's Gilly?" Alfred asked, completely oblivious to the atmosphere of foreboding swirling around our table. Caliegh suddenly froze, nearly dropping her spoon back into her oatmeal as she brought it up to her mouth. In a mere instant, she'd gone from her usual expressionless self to an aura of anxiety, fear, and guilt. What did she know that I didn't? I recalled falling asleep the previous night to the sound of muffled crying, and wondered if I shouldn't have blamed it on pre-sleep delusion.

"He… wasn't feeling well," Francis murmured. I hadn't noticed until now that he hadn't even touched his crepes. "He wanted some alone time."

Gilbert Beilschmidt, wanting some alone time? He was the loudest, nosiest, friendliest guy I knew, and he wanted some _alone time? _What in the world was happening? I was briefly reminded of my friends' shock back in sixth grade when I had been so overwhelmed by depression that I stayed home for 3 whole days, and when I told them my reasoning, they told me they never, _ever _would have expected that from me, the cheeriest girl they knew. My heart gave a painful lurch as I questioned what could be going on behind those scarlet eyes… Next time I saw that albino, I was going to hug him.

"Why's everyone look like they're at a funeral?" Well speak of the Devil… Gilbert plopped himself right between Antonio and Francis, smirking as usual, and looking completely like himself. The two members of his trio looked even more surprised than I did, yet their looks of astonishment were nothing compared to Caliegh's. She hurriedly stared down at her lap, quickly scooping oatmeal into her mouth while blushing lightly. Yeah, something was definitely up.

"Gilly, why are you-?"

"I must've had something really unawesome for dinner last night, but my stomach's feeling better now," Gilbert cut Antonio off. For a brief moment, he displayed a serious expression to his two best friends. It was obvious that he was silently saying, "Don't talk about it."

It took a few minutes, but the whole BTT was eventually back to their usual composures.

"Yo, Gab, can I have your last fry?" Alfred asked somewhere along the way, taking a slurp of his Coca Cola and nodding at my almost empty basket of fries. I put on a look as if he'd just asked to eat my first born child.

"Hell no. I paid good money for these fries, and I intend to eat every. Last. One of them."

"I'll fight you for it." Alfred put up both his fists, grinning; I did the same.

"Bring it, beeotch."

Alfred abruptly gasped, and he pointed over my head. "Oh my god, is that Lovino Vargas picking a fight with Ludwig again?" The Italian's known hatred for Gilbert's younger brother made this claim believable, so it was an instinct to turn and follow the direction of Alfred's finger. (Through my peripheral vision, I saw Antonio spin around with me and gasp 'Lovi?!') By the time I realized my mistake and turned back around, Alfred was chewing with an expression of utmost pride, and my fry basket was empty.

"I will shoot you," I threatened, unable to hold back a laugh.

"You two are simply precious," Francis crooned, linking his fingers and resting his elbows on the table. My lighthearted grin faded instantaneously. Still on this me x my best friend high, huh Franny?

Antonio finally gave up staring around the room for Lovino and perked up, grinning in our direction. "Ooh, _sí. _You should date!" he insisted. Alfred, who had been slurping down some more soda, started choking so heavily that I had to pound on his back.

"Ew. I'm allergic to Alfreds."

A mischievous smirk played on Francis's lips. "I'm being serious, _mon cher. _You two would be an _adorable _couple!" he insisted.

"Gross, girls have cooties." As annoyed as I was at the moment, I couldn't help but giggle at Alfred's comment.

"Look, you two lovebirds," Gilbert began, pointing at us with a sausage link. "This Saturday, there's a club that's admitting people for free if you show them your student ID. How about you two go on a little _date?"_

"I _do _like to party…" Alfred admitted, obviously starting to be drawn in by this offer. I confess, I found it pretty appealing, too.

My conscience was telling me to turn the request down, because I knew it would be held against me forever. But I really wanted to go... "Can't we go as just friends?"

Gilbert shook his head. "_Nein. _You can't go to a club together without it being a date."

"Then we'll bring my sister with us!" Caliegh gave me this completely unamused look that I couldn't help but laugh at. "Look, we'll go. But no matter what you say, it is _not _a _date." _Alfred nodded twice in agreement. Gilbert flapped his hand.

"Fine, fine, whatever… But you two _will _be in love by the end of the night." Instead of thinking up some witty comeback like I knew my sister would have, I just took a haughty sip of my water and got up to throw my trash away.

I had made sure to get all my homework done on Friday night, so I didn't have anything to worry about come Saturday. I spent a majority of the morning picking out my outfit, and was pretty proud of what I'd picked out. It consisted of a plain black pencil skirt that went down to just above my knees, a black leather belt covered with lots and lots of fake silver gems, a blue-and-white horizontally striped tank top, and black knee-high boots that looked like they belonged to a hooker. I decided to pull my hair into a high ponytail with the sides hanging down to frame my face. The only piece of jewelry I wore was the necklace my grandma'd bought me 3 years back (it was a little diamond-studded _G _on a silver chain), but really, I was okay with that. I loved my outfit.

And I didn't have to starve myself to wear it.

The club was within walking distance, so Alfred- clad in converse, baggy jeans, and a skintight t-shirt under his favorite bomber jacket- met me outside and escorted me down the road by foot. It was uncharacteristically quiet between us for the first few minutes until Alfred asked if I'd ever been to a club. I shook my head. "I ain't cool, popular, or rich enough," I told him with complete honesty. He shot me a reassuring grin.

"I went to this club last year, and it was _beast. _Each floor's designated to a different age group- we'll be goin' to the one for 15 to 17- and they're split into a dance floor on one side and a karaoke bar on the other. But it's kinda lame, 'cause the section we gotta stay in doesn't have alcohol at the bar, it's more like a _snack _bar."

To be honest, that was a huge relief to me. But I wasn't about to admit that out loud.

We had to wait in a pretty long line outside, but as it turned out, most of the people were escorted to the upper floors. Alfred and I, at 16 years old, stayed on the first floor, and I was surprised to see it was an awful lot like any school dance I'd been to: dimmed lights, side spotlights sending rainbow beams across the dance floor, a DJ taking requests on a little stage, people dancing like total idiots, a lonely person or two moping off to the side, girls dressed like whores and boys dressed like posers. My nervous smile lightened up; looks like I didn't have to worry about returning to my dorm drunk or pregnant.

"So do you wanna dance first, or grab some grub?" Alfred shouted to me over the Flo Rida song blasting from the multiple speakers. I bit the inside of my cheek.

"I guess I'm kinda hungry," I answered equally as loudly. Alfred nodded, and before I could ask where the karaoke bar was, he grabbed my hand and maneuvered us through the crowd to a door on the opposite side of the room. When he closed it behind us, I was surprised at how utterly sound proof the walls were: the music playing on the dance floor was so loud you literally couldn't hear yourself think, yet we were a mere room away and all I could hear was the murmur of conversations and the instrumental music playing on the stage while people tried their hands at singing in front of a crowd of fellow teens. A gay-looking Polish guy I recognized from my homeroom was singing Britney Spears; oh yes, I'd love to spend quite some time here.

"Come on, dude. Let's check out the buffet," Alfred instructed before I could really get a look around. I glanced at him and just nodded, letting him drag me over to the buffet table. It was nothing compared to the one back at the academy's cafeteria, but those chicken fingers were looking pretty damn appetizing. I grabbed a water bottle out of an icebox, tossing a can of Pepsi to Alfred, then loaded the crispiest pieces of chicken onto a plate.

The line wasn't very long, but Alfred was having a hell of a tough time deciding between ribs and pizza, so by the time we actually located a booth and settled down, the Polish guy had finished his song and so had 2 people after him. "Bro, we _gotta _sing something," Alfred teased as a girl who'd screwed up half her song's lyrics stormed off the stage in tears.

"Oh, yes, that's an _awesome _idea," I agreed sarcastically. Alfred let out his signature laugh, causing a few of the people at the tables around us to turn and give him dirty looks. I froze mid-chew as I realized they must have seen us as a couple. But we _weren't _a couple. Al was my best friend, and I'd just broken up with Mathias. …Well, it had been a few weeks. Yet I still didn't feel ready to move on.

I managed to chase those thoughts out of my mind while we sat, ate, talked, and laughed like the idiot BFFs we were. We had just gotten done singing along at the top of our voices to someone's version of _We Are Young_ by Fun (the poor guy probably couldn't hear himself, since everyone basically overpowered him) when the karaoke DJ walked up to the mic to announce the next victim/singer. He had done this with every person before, so I literally thought nothing of it and just took a swig of my water to help calm down my giggles.

"Next up, singing _Don't Stop Believing, _will be Gabby Bibus!"

It's a good thing Alfred wasn't my date, and was such a good friend that he wouldn't judge me, because I spit my drink out all over him.

"Dude, when did you put your name in?" he asked, almost as bewildered as I was.

"I _didn't!" _I shrieked, as if it was his fault my name had been called.

"Well… You gonna sing?" I don't know why it felt like such a betrayal that he was grinning as he spoke. I stared at him like he was a total idiot. Which he was, really.

"Uh, _no," _I stated.

Alfred lightly punched my arm, trying to encourage me. "C'mon, you can't be any worse than the last few people! It'll be awesome."

At this point, everyone was looking around the room, murmuring about this mysterious girl that was cowardly backing down from singing. I let out an exasperated sigh, standing up huffily. I marched over to the stage, angrily at first, but then toned it down a lot so that I had a demeanor as sheepish as Matthew's. So many people, all about to watch me sing and most likely fail… By the time I made it to the stairs leading up to the stage, I was quivering.

I'd sung karaoke once, in seventh grade, and I think I did okay. Then again, there were about 3 people listening; everyone else was just talking amongst themselves and not paying attention. Still, the years of Chorus class I'd suffered through shaped my voice at least somewhat, so my skill level went from God-awful to average. My sister, of course, was blessed with the voice of an angel, and was constantly being offered solos in her concerts….

Anyway. As the pretty lengthy instrumental started, my eyes absently darted around the room. I didn't recognize a lot of faces…. But there were three that I knew all too well: sitting at a table close to the front was none other than the Bad Touch Trio. From the identical smirks on their faces and the over-exaggerated woops of support they shouted, I knew _they _were the douche bags that had submitted my name. Well, at least they chose a song I knew by heart….

Sending a speedy glare their way, I averted my stare and forced myself to ignore their heavy presence. I knew I wouldn't have to look at the lyrics screen, but I was going to keep my eyes glued there anyway; that way, I wouldn't have to look at my audience and end up fainting. I gulped, and started out pretty damn shaky and croaky: "_Just a small town girl, livin' in a lonely world…" _My gaze burned into the lyrics screen, concentrating so hard that the world around me was starting to fade away. I sang the next line a little smoother: "_She took the midnight train goin' anywhere…"_

With a deep breath, I prepared for the next line, only to feel someone grab my hands and pull the mic toward them. I swear, I jumped at least a foot in the air, so surprised that I couldn't make a sound. I'd been so focused on zoning out of my surroundings that I hadn't even noticed Alfred follow me onstage. Now he continued the song, his singing voice youthful and enthusiastic: _"Just a city boy, born and raised in south Detroit. He took the midnight train goin' anywhere…" _

Thank you, Al. Thank you, thank you, _thank you. _I wouldn't have to sing this alone…! We switched off for every other line, until we got to the bridges; those, we sang in unison. Sometimes, I'd eff up a note, though I didn't blush in horror like I would have if I was alone: I broadened my grin, crossing my eyes to illuminate my mistake and causing a laugh on Alfred's part. We had originally been stealing the microphone back and forth for each line we sang, but when we got to the final _"Hiding somewhere in the night," _we both took it, our hands enveloping each other, and we held out "night" at least 5 counts longer than necessary.

By that point, everyone had started clapping along to the beat, some people singing along with mock optimism. I was still trying my hardest to sing my best, and the fact that I couldn't honestly tell if Alfred was making a joke out of this or not just made me feel so much less ashamed of all my screw-ups. I stared into Al's blue eyes, and he stared right back into mine; I was smiling so widely that my mouth seriously hurt.

We ended on a "_Don't stop," _and when we ended the 10-count long "stop," I noticed the Bad Touch Trio stand up and applaud wildly. Nobody else stood, though I don't think there was a person in the room that didn't clap or whistle. My voice had only cracked a handful of times, plus I'd sang the entire song in front of about 50 people and actually felt _good _about it…. I couldn't help myself: I felt so exuberated, I squealed and threw myself into Alfred's arms.

I never even noticed that when he dropped the microphone in order to hug me back, actually picking me up and spinning me around, Francis left the room.

Al and I intended to head back after we finished our meal, yet when we stepped onto the dance floor, one of my favorite songs- _Vegas Girl _by Conor Maynard- was playing, so we just had to stay and dance/sing to that. The music that came on afterwards wasn't bad either, so in the end, the two of us danced along to about 10 songs. We acted as if we were the only two people in the room, twirling and jumping and fist-pumping and Gangnam Styling (and, I admit, a moment of grinding) like ridiculous party animals. We walked back to school sweaty and exhausted, our ears ringing and mouths unable to stop grinning.

I really should've gotten a shower when I got home, but I was way too tired, so I just stripped out of my outfit and tossed on my favorite Victoria's Secret pajamas. Caliegh hadn't looked up from her notebook since I came back; still, I wished her a good night, and since I was in such a damn wonderful mood, I even blew her a kiss.

I fell asleep almost instantaneously…. to the blurry image of Francis bringing his applause to a halt and leaving the room. Obviously, I hadn't seen his face when this happened, but with the haste and abruptness at which he'd left, I pictured his expression being either bitter or downhearted. And that brought my amazing, exhilarating, fabulous mood to a crashing end.

* * *

_**~Author's Note~**_

_****__I actually kind of enjoyed this chapter... Anyone have any hunches as to why Francis stormed out of the karaoke bar? ;)_

_-67OtakuGirl24X3_


	24. Chapter 23

**_Chapter Twenty-Three_**

**_Caliegh's POV_**

Gabby seemed to enjoy her clubbing last night; I however, was overcome with the horrid feeling of guilt swarming through me. It continued to make me feel upset and annoyed throughout the next day. I also was afraid to be with Gilbert. The kiss that I had given him just made me feel awkward, like something more was going to happen and he would decide to make his final move on me before we were eloping to Sweden.

The next afternoon, I decided that I needed some fun time, too. I deserved this, I was going through a lot! So I found Matthew as he was strolling down the hallway, then took him by the wrist and dragged him to the gardens outside.

"Kay, what are you…?" He questioned, widening his eyes behind his glasses. I glanced back at him, smiling.

"Just taking you to the gardens, dearie. Where we can just sit out there, surrounded by the flowers." In my head, it sounded a bit romantic. ..But that didn't matter, Matthew was my best friend.

"Isn't it getting too cold for that?" I shook my head slowly, motioning at my casual teal-colored sweatshirt and jeans, then at his similar attire. He looked down at his red sweatshirt with a white maple leaf and "CANADA" written on it, then back at me. "Okay, then…"

"And I'll keep you warm, anyway." I said, chuckling to myself, yet feeling the blush rise to my cheeks. I skipped down the stairs, Matthew following close behind. As we exited the building, my mood suddenly went back to its previous depressive state. My smile faded and was replaced with the lack of expression my face usually had. I led Matthew to a place in the garden, right in the center of an area where various colors of English daisies and snapdragons were planted for the cold weather. I sat down, pulling Matthew down next to me. Unfortunately, he noticed my strange sudden change of mood.

"Caliegh…is there something bothering you?" He said, leaning towards me slightly, putting a gentle hand on my shoulder. At the moment there was a little debate going on through my head: Should I tell him or not? I mean, I haven't even told my own _sister_. Who was my_twin_. With the same _thought process_ as me (well, sort of).

I exhaled deeply, looking him straight in the eyes. "Yes." Well, no turning back now. "It's…Gilbert. You remember how he came to lunch late, yes? Well, he wasn't feeling good. And I have a feeling it's because of me. That's why I was so shocked to begin with when he came to breakfast, because I figured he didn't want to see me." Matthew's eyes widened.

"Why would you figure that?" I glanced away. Alright, I really didn't want to say this…I'm pretty sure my cheeks were flaming red. Then again, it really _was_ cold out here. So that might've been a small factor. I moved closer to Matthew, close enough so that our shoulders were touching and I was pressed up against him.

"Matthew, I…" my voice was barely above a whisper. "I kissed him." I choked out. Matthew's shoulders fell, staring down at me in shock. Slowly, he wrapped his arm around my shoulders and hugged me closer.

"Tell me everything that happened." He whispered.

"Okay…well, I had gone down to the music classroom to drop off a folder I had borrowed with music, but Mr. Edelstein wasn't there. So I had put the folder on his desk. But then Gilbert appeared, wrapping his arms around me from behind me and preventing me from moving. Then when I _did_ manage to escape, to grabbed ahold of my wrists and pinned me against the wall. He mentioned that he was so alone and that's why he needed me, then I told him he had so many friends, and the whole atmosphere had changed. He let me go, but then I felt bad. So…I kissed him just before running away quickly." My voice started wavering like I was about to cry, but there was no way I was going to let that happen in front of Matthew.

"You know…he's depressed, Caliegh." He said, lightly rubbing my back. I paused.

"Like, clinically?" Matthew nodded slowly.

"He doesn't ever show it or tell people, though. He doesn't want people like you to be worried for him." People like me? I decided to let that slide for now.

"I...had no idea." I said after a moment of silence.

"Not many people know. I only know because, well, he's told me." I nodded, sighed, and then cuddled up to him. It was getting colder the longer we stayed out here, but that gave me a perfect excuse to be close to Matthew. For warmth, of course. He actually went along with it, hugging me closer than I was before. Ah, how I loved the smell of maple syrup…

Matthew ran his fingers through my hair like he always did when we were embracing, and I loved it. I wished he would keep doing it forever, and that time would stop turning so that we could stay like this forever. In each other's arms, in the garden…yes, I liked this.

….It almost reminded me of the times I spent with Lukas in the garden, by the tree, as he read Norse fairytales. They were dates, not friendly outings. And they were most definitely not something you would do with something you only felt friendship for. No, oh no.

The feeling you would need to be able to do something like this with someone would have to be more than friendship.

The feelings you would need….

Would be romantic feelings.

O~O~O~O~O~O

The next morning during breakfast, the first thing I immediately noticed was that Gabby and Alfred were, well, being all lovey-dovey. Usually they just joked around laughed with each other over the stupidest things, with the occasional fry-stealing bit during lunch or dinner. Today, however, Alfred had his arm around her shoulders and was feeding her mouthful after mouthful of cereal like she couldn't do that herself.

"Open up, Gabby!" Alfred had said, moving the spoon around in circle. Gabby laughed, opening her mouth and then closing it around the spoon. Alfred pulled the spoon out, letting her chew, grinning a cocky little smile that honestly made me want to smack it off his face.

"Mm, it's always better when it's being fed to you!" Gabby commented, resulting in both of them to burst out laughing. I stirred my cream of wheat around in my bowl, gazing at them through the corner of my eyes. They were _not_ allowed to be so in love. After all, they weren't even in a relationship. So what was the point of being so romantic with each other?

Or maybe they weren't in love. They were just as close as me and Matthew. Best friends, right? Or perhaps Mattie and I were closer to each other than them….

Matthew slid onto the bench next to me with his daily breakfast of pancakes, with of course an amount of syrup that was much too large to even be healthy. I stared at the pancakes, then smiled up at him. He must've felt my gaze, because he looked up at me, also smiling. "Would you like some, Kay?" He said, motioning at his breakfast with his fork. I chuckled, shaking my head.

"Oh, no. That's your breakfast. This is mine." I pointed to bowl, taking a bite of the creamy breakfast food as if to prove my point. Matthew sliced one of the pancakes, then held it up on the fork. I raised my eyebrows. Wait a second…Wasn't I just criticizing Alfred and Gabby in my head for this exact same event? …Whatever, Matthew was different.

I shook my head, closing my mouth to avoid him feeding me. "Come on…You know that you want this." Matthew said, a hint of bemusement on his face. I shook my head, refusing the food from entering my mouth. Matthew cocked his head. "Did you hear that, Caliegh?"

"Hear wh-" He cut me off in my sentence by putting the fork in my mouth. My eyes widened, slowly chewing the sweet pancake. "Oh, I hate you, Matthew…" I said after I had swallowed.

From my peripheral vision, I saw _Gabby_ feeding _Alfred_ this time. Oh, no. They were not in love…like I said, they were just as close as Matthew and I. Matthew was laughing lightly, and he leaned into me, smiling. See, if we were in love, my heart would've been racing at his touch! …Oh wait. It was. My head began to spin, and I glanced over at Matthew, who was still smiling. Of course, his smile just made me feel all warm inside, causing me to smile myself.

_Were _we in love?


	25. Chapter 24

**_Chapter Twenty-Four_**

**_Gabby's POV_**

If anything had been up with Francis the night of the party, it had passed by now: at breakfast the following morning, he was his usual self, tweaking my ear before sitting down and proceeding to keep the table updated on rumors of who had started dating who. He probably had just had a sudden stomachache, or got a phone call he needed to take outside; all the scenarios by subconscious mind provided were ludicrous. Like, one of them was that he'd been _jealous. _Ha! Francis Bonnefoy (his name is just a riot to say. _Bon-fwah. _I'd always thought it was_ bon-eh-foy, _until he told Alfred off for pronouncing it that way), jealous of a guy for having a moment with plain old me! One sentence whispered from his lips or wink of his eye and a girl's ovaries would explode; the only boyfriend I'd managed to get had been a gay drunkard. Francis could get literally anyone he wanted.

…How strange. Thinking about Francis in such an awestruck way made me feel a little guilty. Almost as if I was already in a relationship….. But I was long single. I could swoon over any guy, anytime. I guess the only reason a yield sign popped up in my head when imagining Francis's hair blowing in the wind, blowing a kiss while sparkles and flower petals danced in the background, was because he was one of my best friends. Come to think of it, maybe _that's _why he looked so pissed at seeing Alfred and I sing karaoke together… The two guys didn't seem to be on the best of terms. I know that if one of my friends was chill with someone I despised, I'd be pretty pissed too.

Anyway.

Magic Club was already turning out to be pretty fun. Vasilica (I just call him Vasil) was a real pleasant guy; slightly twisted sense of humor and always smiling. At this point, the seat beside Arthur in homeroom had basically become my permanent one, so we got a good deal closer. In fact, when we gathered around to discuss Harry Potter at our next meeting, Arthur sat with _me. _Not Caliegh. I mean, yes, he did thank her for the idea of posting a schedule outside the door with this big beamish smile, but I didn't care anymore. He'd aimed that same smile at me when I told him I loved One Direction as a whole, not just for an individual member.

One morning during homeroom, he was looking kinda down. Don't get me wrong, it wasn't uncommon to find Arthur looking grumpy: unwanted emails from his siblings, a bitter end to a book series he'd finished the night before, or countless things Alfred had done to get on his nerves were all usual sources of his unhappiness. This time, however, he looked exceptionally sad.

"Hey, Artie… What's wrong?" I asked in a sympathetic tone someone would use for a kitten that had fallen into a puddle. With a heavy sigh, Arthur turned his gaze toward me, his head resting in the palm of his hand.

"Vasilica's gone back to Romania for a week or two," he grumbled.

I recalled Vasil saying he'd eventually miss a meeting in the near future; now it made sense as to why. "Aw, that's not good… Look on the bright side! You still have me," I reassured him, grinning. Okay, so I've never been good at comforting people.

Arthur just sighed again, closing his eyes morosely. "Yes, well… Lunchtime is going to be lonely."

Oh, I forgot. The only person that sat with Arthur was Vasil…. "Well you can sit with me until he gets back!" The offer left my lips before I gave it any thought. This was a bad idea. I mean, Arthur harbored strong negative feelings toward both Francis and Alfred, and sitting with me would mean sitting with them as well.

"Oh, no, you don't need to do that…" Despite his polite turn-down, I could detect the slightest bit of interest flickering in those green eyes of his.

"Come on, just for until Vasil gets back!" I admit, I probably should have left it at that instead of pressing on. But I didn't want to quit while I was ahead. "Sitting with a bunch of idiots is probably better than sitting alone."

A teensy smile twitched onto Arthur's face. "Well, I suppose so… Alright. I accept. But just until Vasilica gets back."

I nodded, grinning brightly. "Just till then. That is, if you don't leave sooner."

Even though I meant that comment lightly, Arthur's face immediately darkened a good deal. "With the lot you sit with, I can foresee that happening."

I already knew the reasoning behind Arthur's dislike of Alfred: he saw him as a boisterous, idiotic pig that kept him up at night with his noisy video games. Even though Al is my best friend ever, I can't exactly disagree with any of that. Still, if I was a hot-headed yet usually collected gentleman like Arthur, I'd probably want to strangle him too.

However, I didn't quite understand why Arthur hated Francis so, _so _much. Yes, I can easily see how his flamboyant, flirtatious personality could be irritating, but was that really reason enough to want to slip cyanide into his croissants?

When Arthur met me at the cafeteria, I learned the origin of that passionate hatred. And let me tell you, "shocked" doesn't even _begin _to describe how I felt.

"Arthur Kirkland." The moment Arthur sat down between Caliegh and me, keeping his eyes glued to the floor, Francis greeted him in a slow smooth tone that a really successful former jock would use to greet a loser whom he'd used to give wedgies some 20 years ago. Francis was smirking, but you could just feel the aura around Arthur just start to _boil. _The overall atmosphere seemed to melt into a dark cloud, too.

"…Frog," Arthur muttered in acknowledgement, taking a bite out of his crumpet. He appeared to flinch when Francis sat directly across from him, linking his fingers and resting his chin atop the back of his hands with his elbows propped on the table.

"So how did you two meet?" I questioned, looking back and forth between them. Caliegh shot me this _look, _but I shrugged it off. Not my fault I was curious. Besides, my tone made it evident that I was basically joking and not really expecting an answer.

Nonetheless, Alfred answered me. He leaned over my sister and poked me in the shoulder. "Oh, they go WAY back," he told me, grinning with raised eyebrows. From the excitement on his face, I could just tell that Arthur and Francis's story was pretty damn juicy to hear.

"We've known each other since we were tiny little things," Francis sighed happily, staring up at the ceiling as if reminiscing. Arthur shot him a glare so powerful that I expected Francis to burst into flames.

"It was hate at first sight," the Brit snapped. Francis simply smirked, unfazed by Arthur's anger.

"It is not my fault you were so jealous of me," he practically sang, winking at Arthur.

A light pink swept across his cheeks. "I was not _jealous _of you. Just because you were so bloody full of yourself…" He shook his head in disgust, turning to me. "We fought over _everything. _We literally didn't see eye to eye on any subject."

"That would be because you were so much shorter than me," came Francis's voice. From his flinch, I could tell Arthur had kicked him under the table. He quickly recovered, though. "Still, we hang out all the time… Almost as if we relied on our 'hatred' of each other. Or perhaps because we longed for that hatred to disappear; for _friendship."_

I had to choke back an "aww." That certainly wouldn't have gone down well. "As much as I hate to admit it, with how often we were together, we _did _become what would be considered 'friends,'" Arthur continued. His thick eyebrows were furrowed together in irritation. "We actually started to agree with each other sometimes- mind you, that didn't prevent us from fighting both physically and verbally. Then…" He coughed awkwardly. "Let's just say we had a…. _falling out."_

As Arthur took a long sip of his tea, blushing gently, I could just feel the disappointment on my face. I turned my attention to Francis when he began talking. "It was one of our usual arguments, you see." Arthur's eyes bulged, and he shot him a warning look. Nevertheless, Francis continued. And I admit, I wanted him to. "But then, well… The planets must have aligned, because a realization dawned on us." He chuckled slightly. "Long story short… We were in _love."_

My jaw dropped, Caliegh covered her mouth with her hands, and Alfred spit out his soda (obviously, he hadn't been told that part of the story). The surrounding din of the cafeteria seemed to be muted; silence rang around our group, pulsing like a sound wave. Everything was tense and frozen until Alfred broke the silence with a sing-songy yet slightly choked: "Plot twist!"

I let out a nervous laugh, though it was short lived: Arthur had stood up, his face crimson and a vein pulsing in his temple. "_Were. _I don't know what that wanker's excuse was, but I was a desperate 14 year old that had no idea what I was doing. I used to think we fought like a married couple, but no, we fought like _enemies. _Which we are." With that, he abandoned his tray and stormed out of the lunchroom, a few pairs of eyes trailing after him.

"…How long were you guys together…?" I addressed Francis softly. His usual confident stature was still present, though I could see the hurt and sadness in his eyes.

"About a year," he answered. With a smirk, he glanced back and forth between his roommates. "Long enough for me to learn dear Artie is a screamer." I heard Caliegh make a choked squeak sort of sound, while the members of the Bad Touch Trio snickered bemusedly. My mind was briefly flooded with images of Francis and Arthur, naked in bed with Francis straddling the latter and making him cry out in painful pleasure, but I managed to shoot them down with a blush.

"He lies, you know. We are not _enemies, _we are _frenemies," _Francis added. He gazed toward the door Arthur had recently rushed out of, and realized with a pang that he really, truly had loved that Englishman.

Yeah, it was a bad idea inviting him to sit with us.

* * *

**_~Author's Note_**~

_I'm terribly sorry, but i just NEEDED to include some FrUk in this story. It's my third favorite pairing, after Spamano and DenNor x3 And to that thing about the pronunciation of Bonnefoy... I found a post on tumblr about it being "bon-fwah," and realized that they were right! Being a student of French I, I'm disappointed that I didn't realize my pronunciation mistake earlier... Oh well, I fixed it now. :3_

_-67OtakuGirl24X3_


	26. Chapter 25

After our "incident", Gilbert's harassing was nothing but vocally flirting with me every once in a while. But as we went further into the year, his flirting was becoming more…I don't know, forceful. It's the only word to really describe it. He would occasionally tweak my ear or kiss my cheek, and I would do nothing but shoot him a glare that basically said, "Back the hell off, otherwise you're gonna be missing an ear." I don't know _why_ I never did anything about it anymore, but lately I just didn't feel like he really deserved it. The point is, I just had to get my annoyed anger out somehow.

So that's why I decided to turn to my one, true, best friend in the entire school.

"Maaaaaaattheeeeeeew," I whined, wrapping my arms around him from behind, resting my chin on his shoulder. He turned his head slightly so he could at least see it was me, sighed, then brought his hand up to pat my cheek.

"What is it, Kay?" I frowned slightly, sliding over so I could sit on the bench beside him.

"What do I usually complain about?"

"Trigonometry, the skirts being too short, Gilbert-" I cut him off mid-sentence by chiming, "Ding, ding, ding!" He smiled sadly at me. "What'd he do this time?" I huffed, crossing my arms.

"He's just been…so _bothersome_ lately. All he does, make that_everything_ he does, just drives me up the wall! I mean, does he think it's funny so sexually harass me? And why me?! Why not my sister or something? Is it _fun_ to make me angry, Matthew? Is it fun?" Matthew blinked his violet-blue eyes behind his glasses, gazing at me.

"Take a breath, eh…" Matthew said softly. I opened my mouth to say more, but then closed it when I saw the look Matthew was giving me.

…This is why I loved him. He was always willing to listen to me. I lowered my gaze to the ground, kicking my feet at the frosted grass. I sighed, watching as the brisk air caught my breath in a little puff. I moved closer to Matthew, slowly leaning my head on his shoulder. This was risky; to do such a…_coupley_ thing with someone that was just my friend. Ah, that was a good excuse. We were such good friends, that it was comfortable to us…

Matthew's arms slipped around my shoulders, and I noticed he had taken his jacket and wrapped it around me (while he was still wearing it), only causing me to cuddle closer to him. "You can tell me more." I sighed again.

"No, really. There's not really a point to rant about something. It won't _solve_ it." Matthew shrugged.

"Maybe, eh." I smiled at his verbal tic. I didn't say anything, but I knew that he hadn't realized how much he said "eh" at the end of his sentences. He probably didn't even notice that instead of "about", he pronounced it "aboot". It was cute.

We remained like that until we both had to part, both turning in different directions to go to separate classes.

O~O~O~O~O~O

Let me say this now: I love cooking. I had always spent time at my house in front of the stove, stirring a pot of Thai noodles or mixing the garlic salt into a large pot of pasta. However, I was not very fond of my culinary class. It was mainly for one reason and one reason only.

Yao Wang.

The Chinese boy (though most people argue that he's female; he does have rather long hair and a small build) was my partner and sat at the same table as I did, and he was often judging me as I cooked. Sometimes it drove me insane, but other times it was just plain funny.

Yao had an unfair advantage in this class. He was a lover of gourmet dishes, and in his spare time he always cooked his favorite Chinese foods. So today, having him as a partner for cooking wonton soup was a little annoying. He was an entertaining person, though, so it was okay.

"Aiyah, can't you chop more faster, aru?" He said to me, eyeing my knife as I carefully sliced through a green onion. I rolled my eyes, grinning slightly.

"You're so amazing at speaking proper English, Yao. It makes my heart flutter." He frowned, proceeding to chop the ginger root he had on his cutting board with extreme precision. I raised an eyebrow, turning back to the onion I forgot I was supposed to be slicing up. Out of the corner of my eyes, I saw Yao finish his slicing, then turn to me with an annoyed look on his face. Without warning, he took the knife from my hand and quickly chopped the rest of the onion.

"Why don't you get the bowl for mixing, aru?" He said. I nodded, saluting, swiftly moving to the cabinets to get a blue glass mixing bowl. I brought it back over, where Yao pushed the ginger and green onion in. "Let them stay there. I want you to peel the rest of this shrimp." He pushed a bowl of half-peeled shrimp in my direction, and I stared down at it, blinking.

"Well okay then." I nodded once, then picked up one of the small creatures. They weren't very attractive, let me say. I bit my lip, cringing as I peeled at the shrimp. Yao glanced at me, taking one of the peeled ones and chopping it quickly.

"Faster," He muttered, keeping his gaze on the crustacean. I paused, slowly looking at him. I shook my head, peeling the shrimp even faster than I had been before. He continued to murder the shrimp with his sharp knife, dumping each one into the mixing bowl. When I was done peeling my share, he began chopping those as well, putting them into the bowl. I watched as he poured a half pound of coarsely chopped pork loin to the bowl. He looked at me, as if expecting me to do something.

"Oh, right…forgive me." I chuckled, moving to the other side of him so that I could measure out a teaspoon of brown sugar. After that, I poured a tablespoon each of rice wine and soy sauce into the bowl, then stepped back to allow Yao to blend the mixture. It almost surprised me that he didn't criticize me on my measuring skills. I watched him stir it quickly, blending it carefully.

"Now we let it sit, aru."

"For thirty minutes, yes?"

"Around that, aru." I sat on the stool, swinging my feet and smiling gently at Yao. He as well sat on his stool, sighing heavily. He glanced at me, noticing my smile. "Why are you still here? Can't you bond with friends, aru?" I tilted my head to one side.

"I don't want to. I'd rather talk to you. You know, become better friends."

"…Friends, aru." I smirked softly.

"Friends. People you talk to when you're bored and hang out with. _Me gusta pasar el rato con los amigos._" I chuckled slightly. He stared at me blankly. "It's rude to stare, Yaoi." I reached over and poked his nose. He glanced away.

"Please don't touch me."

"Why shouldn't I?"

"Because, aru."

"Convincing argument." He narrowed his eyes (which looked brilliant, since his eyes were already Asian-ish…) at me, pulling his ponytail holder out. He re-tied it in a high ponytail. In the back of my mind, I thought it was pretty cute. But I ignored it, because I already had my eye on a certain often-unnoticed boy.

After about thirty minutes, Yao got back up from the stool and took the wonton wrappers. I also stood, taking a few myself. "Can you moisten the edges of these, aru?" I nodded, reaching to turn the sink on, then stopped momentarily.

"You know, I read that it's better to not moisten them, but t-"

"We are following the recipe on the board, aru. Not your twisted Americanized one." I laughed.

"Americanized? Oh, you're funny…funny indeed." Instead of arguing and probably making him angry, I simply moistened the edges of each wrapper. As I did so, Yao concentrated on putting a teaspoon of the filling in the center of each wrapper, proceeding to fold them each into tiny little triangles. I looked over at his work, eyes widening. "Okay, those are so cute."

"You are such a girl, aru." He said. "But…they are, aru." He muttered. I giggled to myself, moving on to begin boiling the chicken stock in a pot on the stove. Yao came over, peering into the pot. He nodded in approval, then dropped the wontons in one by one. "Leave this to me, aru." I backed away, gazing at him as he watched the soup boil and cook the wontons. After five minutes, he turned the burner off. He picked the pot up from the burner, moving it to another so that the soup won't cook any longer on the still-hot burner. Yao ladled the soup into a bowl. I immediately scooped a small amount of the leftover onion from the cutting board, sprinkling it on top of the soup.

"There," I said, smiling triumphantly. I took a small spoon, dipping it into the soup. I careful sipped the liquid, closing my eyes and smiling. "It's absolutely delectable."

"Is it?" Yao took the spoon from my hands, also taking a sip of it. He nodded. "_Shi_, it is…"

Glancing at the clock, I began to clean our table. Seven minutes until the bell. Yao wiped down the counters with a washcloth, and I took our bowl up to our teacher so she could grade us. She nodded in thanks. The bell rang, and I rushed back to our table to grab my bag. In a panicked flurry I realized that my bag was missing. I frowned, glancing around. I felt a tap on my shoulder. I turned around, seeing Yao with my bag in his hand. "Here, aru…" He held the bag out. I stood straight, smiling slightly. I took it from his grasp, slinging it over my shoulder.

"See ya', Yao." I waved with my fingers, turning my back to him.

He barely whispered, "_Zàijiàn, _Kay..." I smiled to myself, quickly rushing out of the room.


	27. Chapter 26

_Chapter Twenty-Six_

_Gabby's POV_

Have you ever just woken up in one of those moods where you are dead set on the feeling that nothing could possibly go wrong that day? It was odd; I simply opened my eyes, let the fuzzy world come into focus, and suddenly my heart leapt. Every part of me felt like it was smiling, while each heartbeat seemed to be saying "Today will be great." So I stretched, any trace of usual morning sluggishness absent, plucked my glasses off of my side table, and practically skipped off to the bathroom. If my life was a movie, the lights would be turned up on me and a happy song from the 90's would be playing full volume.

A combination of tired and laziness had led me to neglecting to blow-drying my hair the night prior. As a result of this, after splashing my face with water, I saw that the blonde locks were an absolute nightmare. The best way to describe it was I'd woken up looking like a blonde Little Orphan Annie that had stuck her hand in an outlet. Under most circumstances, I would draw in a sharp breath, groan in disappointment, wish everyone was just bald, and wallow in the dampness of an invisible rain cloud over my head. Today, however, although I did gasp, I didn't moan… I laughed at my reflection, gladly called myself a poodle, and proceeded to run a wet hairbrush through the mess.

I found myself humming when I returned to the dorm to get dressed. "Morning, sissy dearums," I crooned as Caliegh gathered up her things into her book bag. She paused her shuffling of papers to cast me a sideways glance- one Mr. Edelstein often gave me when he caught me singing Blood on the Dance Floor songs when we were supposed to be practicing applying Music Theory. Even the way my sister gave a slight shake to her head and continued to pack up her bag held an uncanny resemblance to the music teacher. This made me giggle as I sifted through my underwear drawer (out of context, that could seem _very _odd).

"Who slept with _you," _she asked, monotone. Guess some of that apathy rubbed off on her when she dated Lukas. …Ugh. Lukas. The man that stole my man.

No, no. I was not going to jeopardize my perfect mood.

"Hey, _this," _I ran two hands down my front, "is off-limits. I don't need no man to feel glorious." I heard Caliegh sigh at my horrid grammar, but when I turned toward her so I could lay my uniform out on my bed, I swear I caught the slightest grin on her lips. Ha, she loves me.

My unexplainable happy-la-la mood was threatened when I sat down in the cafeteria. I had pretty much danced through the buffet, tossing a bowl of fruit, glass of milk, and 3 granola bars onto my tray, telling the lunch lady to have a wonderful day after I paid. When I got to the table, however, I saw that Arthur was upholding my offer and still sitting with us. My airy smile began to falter; what if another scene arose with him and Francis?

To my relief, however, the meal carried on normal as ever, just with the addition of Arthur's contributions. Alfred slurped at the milk in his massive bowl of Lucky Charms, while his British roommate criticized him about table manners; Gilbert tossed bits of granola at Caliegh, sometimes reaching teasingly for her whenever a piece went down her shirt; Antonio gazed longingly at the table where Lovino Vargas sat with his brother; Caliegh and Francis took turns conversing with Matthew, and when it was my sister's turn, Francis would talk with me or one of his trio members. The fortunate part was, the one person he completely avoided talking to was Arthur. In fact, he acted as if the Englishman was not even there; Arthur returned the favor. They didn't look at each other, didn't comment on anything the other had to say, didn't chime into any conversations involving them… They were perfectly avoiding confrontation, and although I felt a bit guilty at first, the two seemed to be casually enjoying themselves nonetheless.

My mood was back in full swing.

"Hey, Alfred?" I said later that day simultaneous to the American in question exclaiming "Yo, Gabby!" The school day had ended, and I was heading up to my dorm to change into something more comfy (not pajamas, though; I was still gonna roam around the school, probably) while Alfred was walking toward me from the opposite direction.

"You first," we insisted in unison, resulting in laughter from the both of us. "Ladies first," I decided with a toothy grin that Alfred returned tenfold.

"Well thanks, now where do I start?" He let out this hilarious snort-laugh and lightly smacked my upper arm. "Kidding, kidding, go ahead."

I swear, it's impossible to frown in the presence of this bozo. "Alrighty. So, I was wondering if you'd wanna play Xbox tonight…?" I hadn't realized until then that the Xbox was in Alfred's dorm, thus meaning I had just invited myself to his room. How rude… "Or, like, just chill somewhere else, or-"

"Actually, I already have plans for tonight," Alfred interrupted. I felt my shoulders drop in disappointment; I didn't even know that I had lifted them to begin with. Well, it looked like another night of curling up under my blanket, scrolling through my Tumblr dashboard until I fell asleep with my laptop burning a hole in my lap… "And I want you to come with."

Wait, huh? I barely caught that last part. My entire stance snapped into a different demeanor, my eyebrows lifted. "Really?" I sputtered. Alfred nodded, his grin sparkling brightly.

"Yup! You know Kiku, right?"

I pursed my lips in thought. "I think so… He hangs out with Ludwig and Feliciano, right?"

Alfred nodded twice. "Yeah, those three are real tight. But Kiku seems to think there's somethin' goin' on between Feli and Luddy, so to give them some 'alone time,' he's bringing this really badass Japanese horror movie over to my dorm so we can watch it! And I want you to be there, because I'm pretty sure Kiku won't let me cling to him when I get- …uh, caught off guard."

It never ceased to humor me how Alfred refused to show any sign of weakness, like admitting he was scared. Precious. I placed both hands over my heart. "Well, I sincerely assure you that I will not judge you one bit as you compose yourself after your guard is lost," I promised with so much emphasis it sounded sarcastic. Alfred let out a short version of his signature laugh.

"Thatta girl. So, meet me in my room tonight, 'kay? You know where it is."

I regret to say that the sound that then escaped my throat was an unattractive combination of a snort, cough, squeal, and giggle. If Alfred wasn't, well, Alfred, I would have covered my mouth and melted in embarrassment on the spot. "Think about what you just said, out of context." There was a pause as Alfred repeated "Meet me in my room tonight, 'kay? You know where it is" in his head and I held my breath to keep from cracking up. A combination of a little bit of shock and disgust with a lot of amusement suddenly lit up Alfred's face, and we both let our laughter loose.

"Dude, you're just as dirty as I am!" Alfred chortled, gripping his side and closing his eyes tight. I crossed my right arm over my chest and bowed, almost keeling over with my own laughter.

"Guilty as charged, my friend. But I do believe I am even _dirtier _than you."

At this point, Alfred had removed his glasses and was wiping tears out of the corners of his eyes. "You wanna prove it?"

I managed to reduce my mirth to mere giggles. "How does one judge someone's dirtiness level?"

"Beats me." Alfred shrugged. "Anyway, anyway… You gonna meet us there?"

A smirk immediately twitched onto my face. "Ooh, a three-way… Sorry, I couldn't help myself," I apologized as Alfred snorted, shaking his head fondly. "But, yeah, I'll be there."

Now Alfred smiled brightly- not in humor, but in friendliness. "Sweet! See ya then." And before I could comment, he was swaggering down the hall. And I admit: I caught myself staring after him for a while.

Is watching movies with Alfred fun? Hell yeah. Is watching foreign movies with Alfred fun? …Well, that's a word for it. See, apparently Kiku (who was a no-show; he dropped the movie in Alfred's dorm but didn't even stay) neglected to tell Alfred that his Japanese horror film was _in Japanese. _Thank God for subtitles… Then again, Alfred isn't the brightest banana in the bunch, so after nearly every line he'd complain about how he hadn't finished reading it. Eventually, fed up with his whining, I resorted to reading them out loud for him. It was a hassle at first, until I assigned ridiculous voices to all the characters. When I got around to narrating the inevitable sex scene, Alfred and I were cracking up so hard that we didn't even notice the serial killer knife the main couples' throats.

Of course, this was a horror film, so we couldn't have conveniently laughed at _every _scary part. I'm the type of person to overreact at things like these; screaming when something jumps out even if it doesn't actually scare me, making pathetic sounds of disgust at any bit of gore… Well, it seemed Kiku made sure to lend a movie chock full of jumping-out and gore. There was a real obvious pattern of quiet, walking… quiet, walking… quiet, walking… quiet, walking… peeking around a corner…. _**SOMETHING JUMPING OUT, **__MURDER. _I screeched every time, even though it was to be expected. Still, I was more of a man about the whole thing than Alfred. He wouldn't shriek; no, he would scream like hell, start blabbering rapid-fire nonsense, and either hide his face in a pillow, dive under the covers, or, on occasion, cling to me so tightly that I couldn't breathe. …I'll be honest, I liked it when _that _happened.

2 hours and 15 minutes later, the bloody and contorted face of the deceased main character popped up briefly onscreen, accompanied by a god-awful screeching noise, and the credits blissfully began to roll. Alfred and I let out breaths we didn't know we'd been holding in unison, shaking and rubbing at our eyes behind our glasses. I grinned meekly at him. "That was lame."

Alfred made a "psh" sort of sound out the corner of his mouth. "Totally. I've dealt with way worse."

Now it was my turn to make an incredulous noise. "And how did _that _go? You almost pissed yourself just now."

I smirked at the offended-mixed-with-embarrassed expression that shot across Alfred's face at this. He opened his mouth to retort- probably something along the lines of "heroes don't piss themselves!"- but was cut off by a soft voice from his doorway saying, "I'm sorry to interrupt…"

Peeking in the door was an Asian boy, about my sister's height, looking very nervous and just as sorry as he sounded. Ah, I recognized him… Yes, he _was _always hanging around Ludwig and Feliciano. Alfred flapped his hand dismissively. "Nah, it's fine, bro! But where the sweet Jesus were you?"

Kiku bowed apologetically, so low that his forehead almost touched his knees. "_Gomen… _Please don't take it personally, Alfred," I had to cover my mouth to hide my amused arising giggles at the sound of his Engrish, "I did intend to watch the movie with you… But when you said your girlfriend was going to watch with us, I didn't want to intrude. _Gomen."_

Every trace of my grin vanished in a heartbeat. Girlfriend. He said… girlfriend. Maybe in Japan, they used that term lightly…? I mean, he just _bowed _in apology, he obviously has different customs… I glanced at Alfred, searching for a reaction, but as usual was met with nothing but oblivion. "Aw, man, I wasn't plannin' on making you feel like a third wheel or nothing! Tell ya what, you 'n me can get together _next _week, and do something just the two of us," Alfred offered, speaking while he ejected the disc from the DVD player. Kiku nodded, stealing the slightest of glances at me.

"_Hai… _That sounds nice." He held his hand out a bit until Alfred popped the DVD back into its case and handed it to the Asian. Kiku bowed his head once, then again in my direction with a hushed "Pleased to meet you," and hurried out. Even if he had lingered, I don't think I would have brought myself to say anything in response.

"Wha… What did he mean by, _girlfriend?_" I eventually managed to choke out, gazing up at Alfred but not really seeing him. I did register, however, that for once, intelligence was seeping into his expression. _Devious _intelligence, judging by the smirk on his face.

"Well you're a _girl… _And you're my _friend…_"

My hammering heart fluttered over a beat. There was nothing to worry about, I was over thinking things again… Alfred was my best friend, a brother to me; why the hell would he tell someone I'm his girlfriend? Surely that's not what he saw me as… I mean, you kind of need the other person's consent to be in a relationship with them. …Not that Alfred would want to be in that type of relationship with me anyway.

"But…" Alfred dragged out the one-syllable word. Hearing his voice sent an icy-hot tingling sensation throughout my body, dwelling at the base of my spine and resulting in a shiver. But why was his voice suddenly having this effect on me? We talked all the time, he was my _best friend… _Was it… Was it because being referred to as his girlfriend broke some barrier I had subconsciously put up? Had I realized that I… _wanted _that? To be more than friends? "There _is _another definition of 'girlfriend.'" I felt the breath leave me. Before I could replace it with more air, Alfred's hand was around my waist, his eyes peering into mine over the rims of his glasses. My heart was pounding in my ears.

I saw his lips move. I heard sound come out. But I had no idea what he'd said. "…What?" I murmured stupidly. Alfred flashed a toothy grin; not his usual cocky one, but one of pleasant amusement.

"Be my girlfriend, Gabby. Go out with me."

Thousands of excuses were unleashed inside my mind, swirling around in a whirlwind. We were too good of friends. I still wasn't quite over my breakup with Mathias. I was so much of a tomboy, he'd be labeled as gay if he dated me. I didn't usually go for stupid guys. He was like a brother to me, incest was disgusting. Still, desire overpowered reason… "Well okay," I squeaked.

Alfred's grin broadened and he slid his hand off of me; I felt my very being melt. "Sweet! So I'll see you in the morning?"

My jaw fell slightly agape. Seriously? He just asked me out, and he was dismissing me to bed without saying another word on it? Typical Alfred… Nonetheless, an inevitable smile twitched onto my lips. "Uh huh… See ya." Every nerve in my body went numb as Alfred ushered me out into the hall, wishing me a good night and _kissing me on the cheek._

I practically floated back to my dorm; I was in such a daze, I don't even remember if I'd changed into pajamas- the t-shirt and yoga pants I'd worn to see the movie were comfy enough. Alfred F. Jones asked me out… Alfred F. Jones was my _boyfriend…. _I replayed the already-blurry scene of him asking me to be his girlfriend over and over in my head, until I gradually drifted off to sleep. I dreamt that Alfred and I were the couple in that movie, except we didn't die; we kissed and cuddled and laughed until the villain actually smiled and decided to leave us be. When I woke up the next morning, my good mood had returned… Increased by tenfold.


	28. Chapter 27

_**Chapter Twenty-Seven**_

_**Caliegh's POV**_

Just recently, I learned that my sister had started going out with dear old Alfred. So even though it wasn't me who had the boyfriend, I was still giddy and giggly about her relationship. I mean, they had already been like a couple in the first place. But then Alfred had made it official on the night that she went to his dorm to watch a Japanese horror film.

So of course, in my happy mood, it surprised me to see that Matthew wasn't too happy on Tuesday morning. In fact, he seemed to be completely depressed. A dark aura just seemed to surround him as he stared down at his pancake breakfast, frowning softly. I sat down next to him, gently putting my right hand on his shoulder while my left hand took his. I entwined our fingers together, but he still didn't look up.

"Matthew, love…" I whispered, taking the hand from his shoulder. I instead put two fingers under his chin, lifting his head so that he would look at me. "Something's wrong." He sighed, gazing at me. It tore my heart to see his expression, but I kept the soft smile on my lips.

"Well, I always knew that no one really noticed me. But you know what I've always hated the most, Kay?" I tilted my head, the smile fading. "Someone called me Alfred. They confused me with my brother, even though they were a friend of mine." My shoulders fell, and the smile came back, this time reassuringly.

"Chin up, boy. People confuse me with my sister all the time!" I chuckled lightly under my breath. He stared at me in disbelief.

"You look nothing alike." I pursed my lips.

"Yeah, I know. Look, the point is, that person is stupid. Everyone who doesn't know who you are is just an ass, okay?" He averted his eyes back to his breakfast plate, poking at a pancake with his fork half-heartedly.

"I still can't help but feel that I'm really nobody. Like I'm just a ghost. The only people that actually notice me are you, Francis, and Gilbert. And you're the only ones who really know me." He nearly whispered.

"Hm?" I sat straighter, cocking my head. What did he mean by that? "What about your brother, or that Cuban guy you're always hanging around?" I tried to hide my hatred for the said Cuban; I had a strong distaste for him.

"Even Alfred hardly notices me…and you know that Carlos thinks I'm Alfred half the time." Yes, I did know. I glanced down at Matthew's arm, where a healing bruise had made its mark on his shoulder, hidden just slightly by his shirt's shoulder. The bruise was a result of a time just recently when Carlos thought Matthew was Alfred; the latter being hated strongly by him. As a result, he proceeded to wallop poor Matthew in the shoulder before I came up, telling him off. Needless to say, he didn't like me either. He gave me a glare, muttered, "Americanos estúpidos. Odio a los estadounidenses.…" and walked off. I understand Spanish, you idiot. So thank you for your compliment, dearest Carlos.

"Like I said, people are stupid. Very stupid."

"If you say so." He sighed gently, and I rubbed circles with my thumb on the top of his hand.

"I do say so." I gently leaned forward, kissing his nose. His cheeks flushed red, and he glanced at me.

"Well what was that for?"

"What?"

"…You know…that kiss." I shrugged, glancing down at the table.

"Because we're friends. I figured I could." Friends? After thinking back on what I did, I felt a blush come to my face. "Friends" don't kiss each other, or feed each other, or hug each other close to keep warm when outside in the cold. "Friends" don't tell each other their deepest secrets (though best friends may), and they don't hold hands in the hall.

With a pang, I realized something very important.

I was completely, totally, head over heels for my best friend.

I swallowed, glancing at him.

He looked at me as well, raising his eyebrows.

I imagined leaning forward, touching my lips to his…The soft feeling of our skin connecting, the taste of maple syrup lingering on my own lips…I imagined his hand grazing gently down my side, the warmth sending an electric shock throughout my whole body. Our eyes would be closed, and nothing in the world would matter. Nothing but us. The whole cafeteria would disappear as his lips moved gently with mine, and we would never want the moment to end. I frowned to myself, looking away. I knew it would never happen, no matter how much I wished it to be true.

Even the whole wish about being alone was snapped in half as Francis sat beside Matthew, propping his chin in his hand. "Bonjour, you two. Having fun?"

"Define 'fun', Francis." I muttered more to myself than him. He looked at me, smirked, then popped a strawberry slice in his mouth.

"Non, never mind. I just…saw the way you two were looking at each other. It makes me think, very sadly, that mon petit Matthieu is growing up…So big, you've gotten. Already in love with a girl." He chuckled lightly, patting Matthew's cheek.

"I-in love?!" Matthew looked panicked. For some reason, I felt my heart drop when he said these words. He looked quickly at me, then back at Francis. "I can't be, she's my best friend." Which confirmed my suspicions. As I figured, Matthew had friend-zoned me.

"So? Does that mean anything?" He paused briefly, then quickly continued. "Non. Not when it comes to l'amour."

"Um, but isn't it bad to like, date someone who is your friend? It'll just screw up the friendship…right?" I leaned across Matthew to speak to Francis, who just laughed lightly.

"Oh, but even if you two break up, if you date, I can't see you two ending your friendship that easy." I paused, just dead-panning.

"Why do you say that."

"Because you two are already so sweet…it won't happen." He winked, biting the tip of his fork flirtatiously. Right then, my sister bounded up and sat down, her lovely little boyfriend sliding onto the bench next to her.

"Hey! How're you lovely little duckies doing?" I looked up at her, narrowing my eyes just slightly.

"Why…"

"Cuuuuz I'm your sister, and I deserve to know!" She grinned, chomping on her granola bar. A smile tugged at the corners of my mouth, and I looked away from her.

"Fine, thank you. To answer your question."

"God, so polite." Alfred laughed loudly, and Gabby leaned into him, smiling softly herself. Just the small gesture of affection reminded me of me and Matthew, and my heart began to pound uncontrollably. I really was in love, but I knew it could never happen.

After all, things like that only happened in the stories.


	29. Chapter 28

_**Chapter Twenty-Eight**_

_**Gabby's POV**_

I was afraid that dating Alfred would change us. That we'd start being more awkward around one another, or not do some of the things we used to do. After all, the level of closeness we'd been at before was really that of really friendly siblings.

Nevertheless, Alfred blissfully proved me wrong. Alright, so there _was _a bit of a change between us. But not a bad one. We still texted each other while in the same room, played video games together, gave/received guitar lessons, stole food from each other at meals, laughed over stupid inside jokes, and walked with one another to classes. The difference? We did these things not casually, but as a couple. There was a different type of atmosphere when we were around each other; a warm, bubbly one that didn't just make me feel accepted, it made me feel _loved. _Not to mention when he called me "babe," it was no longer a nonchalant slip of the tongue with no thought behind it. He _meant _to say it, for I was now his baby.

Oh, and we held hands in the halls. That was new.

I started to believe in miracles one Thursday afternoon when our History teacher passed out before she could even tell us to bring out our notebooks. The nurse had to come down and get her, and since it was so sudden, they were unable to get a substitute. So, our class was dismissed for the next 45 minutes. Alfred and I took that opportunity to go on a nice little unofficial date- we went on a ton of those, considering that's what we labeled every time we hung out.

"I wonder what knocked the old hag out?" Alfred pondered, swinging my hand in his as we made our way over to our favorite bench by the lake. I made a sort of choked gasp-giggle sound at the casualty with which Al called our teacher an old hag. …Which, honestly, she was.

"Didn't you notice how wacky the heaters have been in the school? The place's been like, 80 degrees all day. She probably couldn't handle the heat," I reasoned. Discussing the temperature made me absently draw my jacket closer to my body. What a shock it had been, going from the near-sweltering building to the cool late-November air. I felt a shiver run through my body.

Alfred was nodding in understanding of my theory. He paused before our bench, motioning to it with one arm. "After you, m'lady." I chuckled, bowing my head and smoothing out my skirt before sitting down. I could just barely feel the thin layer of frost covering the seat. Besides: when Alfred sat beside me, so close that there wasn't even an inch of elbow room between our bodies, I felt as if I was sitting by a fireplace.

It was silent for just a few seconds, minus the sound of Alfred humming under his breath. I tilted my head and looked up at him. "Hey, what song is that?" I asked.

"_Sugar We're Going Down_ by Fall Out Boy," he told me in unison to me answering myself out loud. We put on identical grins, shouting "Jinx!"

"You know that song?" he questioned, his smile just as bright in his eyes as it was on his mouth.

Responding with a simple "yes" would have been too easy. "_Am I more than you bargained for yeah. I've, been dying to tell you everything, you wanna hear,"_

"'_Cause that's just who I am this week," _we continued together. We laughed once more, our breath making little puffs in the air. "Y'know… I really love your singing voice," he commented, his grin softening a bit. I shrugged, glancing away.

"It's gotten a lot better over the years… Chorus class really shapes your sound. I was always among the worst in my class, but hey, I don't totally suck anymore."

Alfred lightly brought his fist against my shoulder, just like good ol' buddies do. "Hey, you're better than I am," he insisted. I shook my head, turning my gaze back to his face.

"You ain't bad when you really try for it. I've heard you," I countered honestly. An expression I'd never seen Alfred wear flashed across his face. He looked amused, as always, but also kind of… _humbled. _"What?"

He laughed ever-so-slightly. "Well thanks. And damn, I don't know many girls that still use the word 'ain't.'" My face flushed as he pressed a gloved hand against my cheek, seductively closing his eyes half way. "Hearing you talk like that just turns me on…" My heart leaped into my throat; I nearly fell backwards onto the frosty grass. The sound of Alfred's loud, obnoxious laughter was what balanced me. "Kidding, kidding! Jesus, don't die."

I gulped, pressing a hand to my chest and feeling my heart flutter a mile a minute. I smacked his arm. "You're an ass, I swear…" Alfred winked at me, then closed his eyes and turned his blind gaze to the sky. He picked up his humming where we left off singing, only this time he positioned his arms as if he was playing an invisible guitar. However, he wasn't strumming randomly like most air guitarists do; he actually had his fingers bent over where certain frets would be located, the fingers on his opposite hand touching as if they held a pick. I mentally pictured his guitar on his lap, matching the position of his fingers with the chords he would be playing. I could hear them in my mind, too; he was actually practicing _Sugar We're Going Down, _minus the instrument physically present.

"Hey, what's your favorite song?" He asked out of nowhere, his fingers suddenly going slack and his eyes opening. He turned back to me, tilting his head slightly in curiosity. I closed my mouth, for I had been about to comment on his invisible playing- what I was gonna say, I honestly don't know.

It was instinct to answer immediately. "Well- …..huh. I uh, I'm not sure," I responded honestly, blinking. I'm the type of person that goes through favorite songs nearly weekly, yet come to think of it… I hadn't the slightest clue what my current favorite was. _Vegas Girl_ by Connor Maynard? _I Knew You Were Trouble _by Taylor Swift? My variety of tastes was too vast.

Al lifted an eyebrow, his mouth going tight. "Well what's your favorite band?"

"Sleeping With Sirens," I told him immediately. _That _I had no doubt about.

"Ooh, yeah, they're pretty good. What song do you like best by them?"

I tapped my pointer finger against my chin, thinking. "_A Trophy Father's Trophy Son_ or _Roger Rabbit,_" I decided. Another unique emotion swept across Alfred's expression; disappointment, perhaps? But why?

"Don't you like any love songs?"

Why would that matter? Okay… "Well, yeah, I guess…" Before I could think it over and answer, Alfred was talking again. "You like to sing. What's your favorite song to sing? Favorite _love _song."

Making it that specific made it considerably easier to reply honestly. "I gotta say _Little Things _by One Direction. It's right in my range, and _so _sweet…"

Don't ask me why, because I couldn't tell you, but Alfred's face lit up at that. "Oh, I know that one! It's the most played on Artie's iPod, I think I've heard him sing it when he didn't know I was in the room…" He nodded in contentment. "Good."

Now, it wasn't too odd that he would ask me what my favorite song was. I mean, since we went from BFFs to girlfriend-boyfriend, we already knew a _lot _of things about each other- his favorite colors were red, white, and blue, his favorite food was burgers, he thought contacts were lame, his first kiss was with a guy because he had been playing Ultimate Truth or Dare… That left us with the desire to know _everything _about each other. But why had Alfred been so specific? Why would he care what my favorite _love _song was? Suspicious, suspicious…

I hadn't even noticed that my teeth had started to chatter; I guess the low temperature had finally gotten to me. Alfred took note of this and snickered fondly. "Damn, it's not even that cold out."

I shrugged my shoulders; perhaps I did tend to overreact to any weather other than perfect. "Yeah, well, I _can't stand _the cold. If it isn't 60 to 70 degrees, I am _not _a happy camper."

Alfred's smirk softened considerably, giving him the most dreamy expression possible: compassionate with a dash of cockiness. I suddenly felt a good deal warmer. "Well c'mere, then." My eyes widened behind my slightly foggy glasses as Alfred shrugged out of his favorite bomber jacket, leaving him in nothing but the dress shirt and blazer of the academy's uniform. Before I could protest, he had the jacket wrapped around my shoulders. I immediately felt its weight and immense warmth; no wonder Alfred never got fat despite his awful diet, he must've burned off 10 pounds a day just from wearing that thing!

"Hey, whoa, no, you don't have to give me this…" I insisted, trying to shoo his hand away. Instead, he held the jacket closer to me.

"Well I can't let my lady be uncomfortable, can I?" I looked up into his face, ready to counter his words, yet when our eyes met my mind- my entire body- melted. Oh, dear god, I was in love… Our noses were already pressed together, he had his arms around me, I could feel his breath on my lips… If we just closed the little gap between us…

And then the ringing sound of a timer going off chimed from my pocket, and I remembered I had set an alarm on my iPod so that we wouldn't end up late for our next class. Coughing awkwardly, Alfred slid his arm away and got to his feet, offering me his hand. Face glowing red, I kept one hand gripping the jacket and gave the other to Alfred, allowing him to pull me up. I practically floated back into the building, lost in a state of longing, confusion, and disappointment.

A little more than week had gone by, bringing us into December. This meant the purchasing of advent calendars at the campus store, plans of all sorts, decorations in the classrooms of the most festive teachers… and an abundance of snow flurries. The first Saturday of the month had been the only day thus far that _didn't _have snow falling from the sky, so naturally almost everyone spent the day outside to play in the 2-inch deep blanket of snow on the ground. I planned on hanging out with Alfred- make a snow man or have a snowball fight like the little kids we are at heart- but when the afternoon came by, my boyfriend was nowhere to be found. As you can imagine, I was pretty downhearted.

I was ready to go back inside- I mean, like hell was I gonna stand out there in twenty-some degree weather when I wasn't even doing anything- when I took note of the fact that a majority of the people that were outside had begun to drift toward the main courtyard. Curiosity got the best of me and I decided I might as check it out. As I got closer, I started to hear the light strumming of guitar strings. It seemed whoever was playing was getting the instrument in tune. Once I stepped out onto the stone-paved courtyard, my jaw dropped: there, standing on the bench alongside the now-frozen fountain with acoustic guitar strapped across his chest, was none other than Alfred F. Jones.

A little crowd had gathered around already, but it took a mere few seconds for him to take note of my presence. He caught my eye and grinned, giving me a quick wink and readjusting his guitar. He jerked his head in the direction behind him, motioning me over. So I crept my way to the front of the crowd.

Once he got everyone's attention and quite a few more people had gathered 'round, Alfred cleared his throat perhaps a little too dramatically. He positioned his fingers on the desired fret, set a medium-to-fast tempo by tapping his foot, and started playing. Something about the way he played it told me it was a new composition for him; it was something he had practiced a ton in a short period of time. It seemed original, yet at the same time sounded very familiar. I'd heard those chords before, somewhere… Maybe not at that speed, or even that exact beat, but they were certainly something I knew…

When Alfred opened his mouth and started to sing, everything clicked into place.

"_Your hand fits in mine like it's made just for me. But bear this in mind it was, meant to be." _

_Little Things. _He was singing a peppier, customized version of _Little Things: _my favorite love song. I was hypnotized.

"_I know you've never loved, the crinkles by your eyes when you smile. You've never loved, your stomach or your thighs." _

I had been right: Alfred's usual singing voice was kinda whiny and spontaneous, but when he really put his heart into it, he sounded like any famous pop singer. There was no way I could keep the smile off my face.

"_I won't let these little things, slip, out, of my mouth. But if it's true, it's you, it's you, they add up to. I'm in love with you… And all these little things." _

Ever since I had first heard this song, it just made me squeal and sigh and, well, fangirl. It was so sweet, I was surprised I didn't get diabetes from listening to it. And the message it conveyed…

"_I know you never loved, the sound of your voice on tape. You never want, to know how much you weigh. You still have to squeeze into your jeans, but, you're perfect to me."_

It was precious: the type of love every girl, especially hopelessly insecure ones like me, yearned for someone to feel toward them. I had always dreamed of some guy one day thinking those things about me… Perhaps Alfred didn't really mean it.

"_You'll never love yourself half as much as I love you."_

But he was singing it.

"_You'll never treat yourself right darling, but I want you to."_

To me, judging by the fact that he was ignoring everyone in the crowd but me.

"_If I let you know I'm here, for you."_

In fact, at this point I had completely forgotten that other people were here. Alfred's smile, his voice, his eyes, his gaze… had that effect on me.

"_Maybe you'll love yourself like I, love you."_

I felt a tear trickle down from my eye, freezing on my cheek. Alfred wasn't merely repeating lyrics he'd somehow memorized; he was conveying them with full, pure emotion, toward _me. _I don't even know when he had stepped down from his bench, let alone walked over so that there was less than a foot between us. I could feel tens, no, hundreds, of eyes staring at us, but the feeling soon evaporated into the back of my attention.

"_I won't let these little things, slip, out, of my mouth. But if it's true, it's you, it's you, they add up to. I'm in love with you… And all your little things." _With one final dramatic strum to his guitar, Alfred's already wide smile deepened even further. He raised his eyebrows, silently asking, "What did you think?"

Any words I had for him jumbled up in my head and caught in my throat. That was so beautiful, so thoughtful, so….. I felt a few more tears join the first one on my cheeks, and I covered my mouth with both hands to muffle the silent sob of utter joy I let out. Alfred slid his hand off the neck of his guitar to catch one of the freezing tears, and I took that opportunity to remove my hands from my face and grab Alfred's instead. His glasses slid down his nose and he stared at me in mild surprise. A whirlwind of emotions was spiraling around in my head; I couldn't hold back: I lunged forward (with my upper body, so I didn't bang into his guitar) and pressed my lips against his, channeling every ounce of passion I was currently feeling into the kiss. Alfred's hand that wasn't on my cheek snaked around my waist, and he tilted his head so as to properly return my kiss. I didn't even hear the "Awwww"s that erupted around us.

"I love you, Al…. _Thank you… _Oh, god, I just, love you," I murmured the moment we pulled away for air, our foreheads still pressed together and eyes still closed. I could feel his smile.

"I love you too, babe… Duh." I opened my eyes a bit, chuckling softly, and dove in for another kiss. The crowd around us dispersed as we kissed over and over, equally as heated every time, our hands repositioning themselves from face to hair to neck to chest to back to waist to at one point, heh, butt. Soon enough, I had helped Alfred pull his guitar strap over his head, set the instrument safely off to the side, and he had pulled me into his lap on the ground, continuing our fiery make out session on the ground in the snow. The frigid temperature did nothing to prevent me from feeling tingly and warm on every inch of my body. _Especially _my lips.


	30. Chapter 29

**_Chapter Twenty-Nine_**

**_Caliegh's POV_**

Standing out in the cold of December, just walking in the snow, and suddenly hearing the sound of a guitar playing can really get a girl's attention. So of course, when I heard the instrument being played, with familiar chords being strummed, I had to find the source. And when I did, I wasn't surprised the slightest. There was a crowd surrounded around none other than Alfred F. Jones, who was playing a more upbeat and peppier version of _Little Things_ by One Direction. At first I didn't understand _why_; I thought perhaps it was just for the fame. But as I got closer, standing on my tip-toes to see over the crowd, I noticed it wasn't just him singing.

He was actually serenading my sister. Who, in fact, was tearing up with happiness. I smiled to myself when I saw this scene. I couldn't really help myself; it was adorable. When Alfred finished the song, Gabby immediately threw herself at him, pulling their lips together. A series of "aww"s rang out through the courtyard. I slid my hands into my pocket, smiling softly. She deserved this…after all she's been through.

The crowd broke apart, so I took this as my cue to go inside so I wouldn't get frostbitten. However, turning to go back inside, I ran into someone. "Oh, sorry," I muttered, glancing up at who it was. Once again, the smile returned to my lips. "Matthew, what're you doing here?"

He huffed; he had obviously been running. His cheeks and nose were practically stained red from the cold, and when he breathed the cold air would catch his breath in white puffs. "You need to come with me," he urged, "please." He added after a short pause. I furrowed my eyebrows in confusion, but still let him grab my hand and drag me aside.

"Where are we going?" I questioned. I didn't need him to answer, though. I knew we were going to the same place where we always sat when we went outside to the gardens. The bench by the pansies and lilies, something I considered our special place. He pulled me the whole way there, though eventually my hand found its place in his. He didn't sit like I expected him to. Instead he wheeled around to face me, taking both of my hands in his. "Alright, this is suspicious." I said, staring down at our hands.

"Kay…please look at me when I say this." I gazed up at him. "I…never realized this, but…I love you." I paused.

"C-come again?" I chuckled nervously under my breath.

"I want you to be my girlfriend." He said, his grip around my hands tightening. He seemed nervous, but it was kind of cute. After a moment, I smiled.

"You're so straight forward." He gave me a flustered look.

"W-was I not supposed to? I'm sorry, I've never…!" I slipped my hand out of his, reaching up and touching his cold cheeks.

"No, it's okay." I moved closer to him. "I'm just…relieved. Because I finally heard those words out of your mouth." His eyes widened behind his glasses, causing them to slide down his nose. He adjusted them immediately.

"U-um, then, is it okay…if, we, you know…"

"Kiss?" His shoulders fell with relief, nodding. I pressed up against him, linking my arms around his neck. I stood on my tip-toes, putting our noses together. "I thought you'd never ask."

I must've been dreaming, because I swear I had had a dream exactly like this once. I bet I passed out because of the cold, if that's possible. I was dreaming, and this was not happening.

But no. When he closed the small gap between us, pressing his chilled lips to mine, I knew that this couldn't possibly be a dream. It felt all too real, not like my normal dreams. I pulled away, closing my eyes and lowering my heels to the ground.

"Oh, maple…" Matthew sighed, staring down at me, his hands linked together behind my back. Just when I thought it was over, he cupped his palms around my cheeks, bringing me in for another kiss. This time it lasted longer, and I really felt like it was a dream. As our lips moved together, my dreams became reality. The taste of maple syrup was strong on his lips, just as I had imagined it would be. Our hands moved from their places to meet between us, and I entwined my fingers with his. We pulled apart, gazing into each other's eyes.

"My answer is yes, Matthew." His eyes lit up, clearly not expecting that answer to come out of my mouth.

"R-really? Oh…thank you…!" He pulled me into a tight hug, and I wrapped my arms around his waist, hugging him back.

"I love you…so much." I buried my face in his chest, nuzzling up against him. His warmth spread through my whole body, even in the brisk air. He perched his chin on my shoulder, and his hands moved to my lower back, pressing lightly in order to move closer together.

"I love you, too, Kay." He pulled back, cupping his hands around my cheeks and making me look up at him. He smiled softly. "Now let's go inside, I'm sure you're cold."

O~O~O~O~O~O

"What is wrong with you today, aru? Can't you snap out of it?" I jumped at the sound of Yao's voice, and I looked down at the cutting board to see that I had chopped a shrimp right in half, quite unevenly. Yao had hands on his hips, and he was giving me a look that clearly said he was annoyed with me. As usual.

"O-oh, sorry." I chuckled, and smiled airily. "I'm just really happy right now."

"So happy that you can't concentrate on cooking right, aru?" He huffed, beginning to skin another bowl of shrimp.

"Yeah, actually."

"And why is that, aru." I tilted my head to the side, smiling at him.

"Because I got a lovely boyfriend." He froze.

"_That's_ why you're so happy, aru…" I nodded. "I wish I could have one, aru. But if I did, then people would give me funny looks because of who it is." I nodded slowly, then did a double-take.

"Whoa, wait, what?! Are you gay?!" My eyes lit up, and I could practically feel the sparkles shining around me. Yao's face flushed a deep shade of red, and he smacked his hand over my mouth.

"Shut up, aru! Not so loud!" I pulled his hand from my mouth, grinning from ear to ear.

"You aren't denying it! So, who's the lucky guy?" He stabbed the knife he was using into the cutting board, and I jumped back slightly. He was silent for a few seconds.

"…I…Ivan Braginski." My eyes widened, covering my mouth with my hands.

"No way. He's in my homeroom, I could totally set you two up toge-"

"No, aru!" He snapped. "I mean…it's fine." He glanced away. "I understand how you feel, aru. To be in love. And Ivan doesn't seem to really love me, but he does so many things that just make me think otherwise." He sighed, an aggravated expression crossing his face.

"Mm, like what?" The conversation seemed to get more casual, so I figured I could continue it.

"One time he wrote me this letter and snuck it into my bag, aru. I still have it." A blush crept to his cheeks as he turned the burner up. I raised my eyebrows. Now this was interesting.

"May I read it?" He frowned slightly, paused as if thinking it over, then nodded. He slid his hand into his pocket, pulling out a piece of paper. He handed it to me, and I unfolded it carefully. The letter read, "Ivan loves his little Yao-Yao~" with a heart at the bottom. I smiled, handing the letter back to Yao. "That's really sweet, you know. Maybe someday you two can get together. Tell me when that happens, alright?" I grinned at him.

"I just hope it works out, aru…"

"It will. Trust me." Being optimistic was a new thing for me; after all, I wasn't usually so happy and believing that these sorts of things would happen. But after recently, I think I'd be happier more often.


	31. Chapter 30

**_Chapter Thirty_**

**_Gabby's POV_**

The day started out pretty average. I was just chilling at the breakfast table as per my morning routine, munching on some toast while Alfred had his arm wrapped around my waist. I loved that feeling so much… The feeling of being so close to someone I felt so strongly about, leaning into their warmth, feeling the lack of a gap between us… …Though I admit, when Al ruined the serenity by moving his hand a little too close to my butt, or slid it onto my thigh, I wasn't completely discouraged.

Nowadays, it was normal to find me in a good mood, but the same couldn't particularly be said about Caliegh. That being the case, I had to do a double take when I took note of the radiating vibe of joy surrounding my sister. She practically hopped into the seat across from me, giving me a smile that may or may not have actually been meant for me. Just to be safe, I quirked an eyebrow instead of smiling back. It was then that Mattie joined the table, and when he stepped into view, I swear Caliegh's aura brightened so much it was blinding. The moment he sat himself beside her, setting his tray of pancakes down and smiling softly, she _kissed him on the cheek. _And then he nuzzled their noses together.

Leave it to me to butcher the moment by spewing the water I had been sipping all over the table.

Alfred pounded me on the back, restraining hysterical giggles, while Caliegh and Matthew stared at me in alarm. "So you guys… finally dating?" I managed between coughing fits. Mattie gave a slight nod to his head, a blush on his cheeks, and he rested his hand on Caliegh's knee. She leaned her head on his shoulder, smiling up at him with her eyes in utter adoration.

Once I was no longer coughing my brains out, a slight smile appeared on my face. Nonetheless, that damned feeling of jealousy was gradually creeping up into my chest. Wasn't this a little… weird? My twin sister, dating the twin brother of my boyfriend? Seeing as Mattie and Al _were _twins, was Matthew really just a better version of Alfred? Had Caliegh beat me yet again…? The chilling thoughts evaporated immediately as I felt Alfred press a kiss to the top of my head, as if reminding me that he was still there, and still my lovable goofball boyfriend. Nah, there weren't any negatives to this. My sister deserved happiness, and I sure as hell was happy too.

I was distracted by the warm fuzzies buzzing inside me when Alfred tapped on my knee. "Hey, babe, you know that Language Arts essay that's due today?" he asked with his mouth half full, spewing crumbs of cereal while he dug through his bag. Oh, no.

"Uh huh… What about it?"

From his bag, Alfred produced a few slightly crumpled pieces of paper, stapled together. He smacked the thin stack down on the table in front of us after shoving aside the remains of his breakfast. "You're super smart, how about you proofread this for me?" He turned his eyes to me with the most adorable, pleading look that I would have let him get away with murder. I clicked my tongue at him, but grinned and nudged him with my elbow.

"Sure, why not," I agreed. Al's face went from begging to luminously pleased; he placed a brief yet heated kiss on my lips before smoothing out his essay and eagerly shoving it in my face. I chuckled under my breath, rolling my eyes and tucking a stubborn strand of hair behind my ear. Pushing my glasses farther up the brim of my nose, I began to read… and was immediately met with a wave of disappointment. The opening paragraph was so weak, the word "I" was overused, there were _no _citations… It required every ounce of willpower I had not to visibly flinch.

I almost let out a sigh of relief when I finished. "Well? How was it?" Alfred urged, his baby blue eyes zipping into mine the moment I leisurely raised my gaze. I considered telling him that I used to write essays of similar quality in _third grade, _but that eager puppydog look on his face erased completely erased the option of hurting his feelings. I cleared my throat and put on my professional hat.

"Well, let's see… You dived _right _into the essay. You need a hook, an opening to grab the reader's attention from the start… You included your opinion too much. Try to keep it more factual. And it looks like you were absent for that lesson on parenthetical citation, because you didn't cite anything the entire paper. And you lacked transition words, plus used the wrong type of 'there' a few times…" My heart started to throb as Alfred's confident expression dimmed, leaving him with an expression that made him look humbled and dazed.

For a moment, my mind jumped to the horrid conclusion that I had just ruined our whole relationship, at least for the day. That I had offended him and that my criticism made me look like some nerd that totally turned him off… But then Al spoke. "Think we could get some sick kid to cough on us so we can skip class and work on this?"

A slight smile appeared on my face and I felt my entire body relax. "Just work on it tonight, and turn it in late… You'll get a better grade for a well-written late assignment than a crappy on-time assignment." I was suddenly tense again. How could I have let it slip out of my mouth that his essay was crappy?! Stupid, I am so _stupid…_

"You're the boss! Meet me in my dorm, we can work on it there. Then we can have a little fun." Alfred had begun twirling a strand of my hair around his finger, and I could hear the smile in his voice.

My luck only continued when my American History period came. The professor was still sick and they were yet to find a sub (I had to smack Al and call him a jackass when he said 'Maybe the old hag croaked!' at this news), so we were given another period to roam around. We found ourselves in the computer lab, with the intent to work on Alfred's essay yet when I opened up the internet, my cursor strayed to the academy's online grading website. Might as well glaze over my grades, see if being in a relationship really did mess with my schoolwork…

Ah, perfect. I was still maintaining a pattern of A's, even if they were mostly in the lower 90's. I grinned softly as a rare feeling of pride pulsed inside my chest. However, when I scrolled back through, every part of me froze except for my smile, which rapidly transformed into a frown of horror. I was wrong, I didn't have straight A's: I had an 87 in American History. When had that happened?! Just last week I was rocking a 93… My heartbeat quickened as a sickening feeling swirled around the pit of my stomach. Don't get me wrong, 87 isn't exactly a bad grade, but in my favorite subject… The one I planned on majoring in when I went to college… I was starting to see stars, and not in the good way.

"You okay, babe? Stumble across a lesbian porn sight or something? You're lookin' pretty pale," Alfred commenting, plopping himself backwards in the plastic spinning chair beside me. When I didn't respond, he just quirked an eyebrow and stared at my computer screen. He whistled. "Damn, an 87? Even I have a 94 in American History." That snapped me at least a little bit back to reality.

"No you don't," I insisted. Shit! Once again, because I couldn't think before I spoke, I had insulted my boyfriend. Fortunate for me, it seemed his skull was pretty thick, as he was as unfazed as he was last time. He just put on a cocky smirk, leaned over the keyboard gripped the mouse (while my hand was still on it), signed me out and himself in, and sat back in triumph while I was left to stare at _his _grades.

If those grades showed up on my report card, I think I would have had a heart attack. Al was just barely passing most of his classes, and even on the verge of failing Algebra. He had only two A's: a 99 in PE that put my 92 to shame, and, just as he had said, a 94 in American History. I was too breathless to speak. "See? That is my _subject! _Looks like YOU need a study buddy," he decided, crossing his arms and sitting up tall. I glanced at him, now feeling as if I had just run a mile.

"…well, the test _is _next week… Wanna help me go over the study guide right now?" I offered feebly. Alfred nodded enthusiastically, his energy so radiant that it could eat mine. He reached around me for my History binder and flung it open. He sifted through my neatly organized papers (if his binders were anything like I saw his locker and bedroom to be, I wouldn't be surprised if losing things was part of the reason behind his poor grades) until he uncovered the study guide, and made a big show of smoothing it out and smacking it down on the desk.

Shockingly, Alfred really did know his stuff when it came to this subject. He knew which year each of the 50 states joined the country, the order of ever president we'd ever had and what they were most known for, why settlers chose to live in certain parts of the country back in the 1800's, which wars the USA had one and which ones it had lost, every little detail about the Revolutionary War, had the Declaration of Independence memorized, and could even speak a few words in a couple Native American languages. By the time we'd bulldozed through the entire packet, my brain was fried with facts I had completely forgotten while Al looked like he'd simply recited the ABC's.

"So how about I quiz you on stuff that isn't in the guide?" Alfred suggested, practically bouncing with pride and excitement. I smiled tiredly up at him.

"Sure."

"Sweet! Okay, so… Got one! How many wars were named after the year they were fought in?"

I furrowed my eyebrows together, way too wiped for this. Seemed like a trick question… "Um, three…?"

Alfred made a buzzer noise (sort of like 'ERNT!') so loudly that I jumped in my seat and half the room gave him odd glances. "Wrong! The answer is one. Only the War of 1812 was-" So not in the mood to hear about however he intended on finishing his sentence, I cut Alfred off with a rather lengthy kiss to the lips.

"Let's talk about this later, okay?" I whispered. Alfred blinked down at me, then grinned.

"Anytime, babe. So how about that essay o' mine?"


	32. Chapter 31

**_Chapter Thirty-One_**

**_Caliegh's POV_**

Being constantly happy is really scary. You have no idea (unless you're one of those people who _is_ always happy). I'd always hated having boyfriends in the past, so I was never usually enthusiastic when I got another one. I never saw the point in them, either. _Oh, wow_._ We're dating_. I would always think. _What now?_

However, Matthew was…different. I figured it'd be the same as all my other boyfriends: the first few weeks I'd be fangirling and in a stage of pure ecstasy, and the next I'd be sulking and not enjoying anything about being taken. But that wasn't at all how it went. After the kiss we'd shared outside, I had never even thought of going back and regretting having Matthew as my boyfriend.

And I'm still not past the ecstasy.

When I skipped into the dining hall several weeks later and sat at our rectangular table in my quite unflagging way, my sister gave me an absolute humorous look. She still hadn't gotten used to my elated mood, even though she's known that we've been dating since like, a week ago.

"Oy, cheer up." I pinched her cheek, sliding into my seat next to Matthew. He gave me a look of genuine adoration, sliding his hand into mine when I sat. Gabby, however, kinda quirked an eyebrow at me and leaned into Alfred, who practically force-fed her a French fry (even though she still ate it and said, "Thanks, babe!").

I glanced at Gilbert, who was poking at his plate of thinly sliced potatoes with an unenthusiastic, uncharacteristic look on his face. He looked up at me, his bright red eyes lacking any sort of emotion. "You know-" he started, but was cut off by Francis.

"_Bonjour, _you all!" He chimed. Francis was ready for Christmas to come; according to Spain and Gilbert, he loved the romance that was all around during the holiday seasons. So when he immediately turned his gaze to the two couples at the table, we weren't shocked at what came out of his mouth next. "So what're you all doing for Christmas?" He winked. Alfred dramatically looked at Gabby.

"_Well. _Don't even get me started on what I'm gonna do to this little hottie…" He grinned, gaining a snicker from Francis.

"Have fun with that one, Gabrielle." Gabby's face flushed at the sound of her full name; she really hated it. "And what about you lovely little things?" He turned to face me and Matthew. Only Matthew wasn't necessarily paying attention, so he jumped slightly.

"Hm? What about us?"

"What are you two doing for Christmas? Go on a date, play in the snow, have sex?" Matthew's cheeks flushed, flustered.

"Francis, don't you think it's a bit too early for that?"

"_Eh bien, vous êtes tous les deux si évidemment dans l'amour_..."

"_Je ne veux pas avoir des relations sexuelles_!"

"Whatever you say, Mathieu~!" Matthew huffed, pouting slightly. I giggled to myself. He was impossibly cute whenever he made that face.

"Can you two at least kiss for us?" Antonio piped up, suddenly conscious of the content of the conversation. Francis gasped in agreement.

"Oh, _oui_. Please?" I slowly turned to Matthew, smiling a little. He opened his mouth slightly, closed it, and leaned forward slightly. His lips quickly met mine, and everyone at the table had their own series of squeals, "ooh"s, and "aww"s. Except one person.

Except Gilbert.

Something flashed in his eyes as he watched us, and he sighed to himself. He muttered something under his breath, and I immediately felt guilty. Did I do something to upset him? It was a little out of character. To me it seemed that we had flipped personalities, with him being the phlegmatic one and me being the witty one. It was definitely off, like this was some sort of alternate universe. Antonio stopped cooing for a moment, poking Gilbert in the shoulder. He whispered something in Gilbert's ear, grinned, then frowned when he saw his friend wasn't responding. It really worried me. If something was bothering him this much…

My attention snapped away when I noticed Alfred had kissed Gabby, but their kiss was a little more…rough and lengthy. Since they've been together for a good while now, they were ready to step it up a notch. So more often than not, I'd find them in public places, happily locking lips and quite possibly wrestling tongues. But the thought of that makes me cringe, so I choose not to think about it.

Gilbert stood up from the table. "I have to go to the office." He only said that before taking his tray away, and leaving the hall without any other word. Silence settled among us (including Gabby and Alfred, who finally pulled back for air).

"Am I the only one who found his attitude suspicious?" I chimed. Antonio's eyes widened.

"I did, too! Do you know what he said earlier?" I shook my head. "He said, 'And you two are the reason I drink.' Crazy, _si_?!" I paused, pondering for a moment.

"Wait, seriously?" Antonio's usual cheery grin faded, replaced with an all-serious expression.

"I've never seen him so depressed, and I've known him since third grade."

"I've only seen him like this once," Matthew whispered. "It was scary. He wouldn't speak or eat, he nearly starved himself." All remnants of my exultant attitude were whisked away at that comment.

"When was this?"

"Eighth grade." …Eighth grade. About the same time I had gone into a mode of fierce depression as well. I had never starved myself purposefully, but I remember times when I would skip breakfast and sometimes lunch, and hardly getting any sleep the previous nights was common. It was the time where everyone felt the need to have a sense of belonging; though I had a feeling Gilbert wasn't the type to feel that. I wasn't, either. That often caused a sick and twisted feeling of loneliness, which just replaced the want to belong.

The table was silent for the rest of the period, none of us willing to discuss any further.

O~O~O~O~O~O

I pretty much sulked my way to the classroom where the Magic Club was held. I felt like I was floating, but not in the good way whatsoever. I was just hoping that seeing Vasilica or Arthur could help cheer me up, since they always managed to somehow do that in the past. I clicked open the door, saluted them with a silent wave, then sat in my chair closest to the window.

…Something seemed off. The atmosphere was way too awkward for my liking.

Arthur cleared his throat. "Hello, Caliegh. I'm sure you've met Lukas?" It felt like the gears in my brain totally shut down, like they all went on emergency shut-down. I glanced up. Sure enough, there he was. Lukas Bondevik, still gorgeous as ever, sitting at the other end of the table with his head perched in his palm.

"_Hei_, Kay." Oh, goodness, he rhymed my name. I wiggled my fingers at him in a little wave.

"Yah...'ey, you." I coughed into my fist. What could make this better?

"Oooh, that's awkward. Didn't you two date?" Vasilica spoke. I simply nodded, shaking off the question. I noticed Gabby wasn't here yet. She probably wasn't coming, and instead was with Alfred in the dorms…

"No Gabby today? Alright. Mind writing that for me, 'Silica?" Arthur pointed to the thick binder on the desk with all the club's information, and Vasilica immediately took a dramatic dive for it, causing it to tumble right onto the ground. Arthur looked down at him, raising his thick eyebrows at the Romanian.

"Hey, Artie." He waved up at him. He got up from the ground, flashing a grin at me. I only gave him a blank look back, which caused him to frown slightly and turn to the notebook. "Why is this club so depressing? Can't we have some fun?" He did a short little dance, which did get a little smile out of Arthur.

"Okay, that's enough." They both sat, Arthur beside Lukas and Vasilica beside me. "So I was thinking," Arthur started, "that maybe we should all get to know each other."

"Seems like a fine idea to me." Lukas deadpanned. I nodded in agreement, and a short "_da_" was heard from Vasilica.

"How?" I tilted my head to one side. I wasn't good at this…

"Just, answer questions. Alright, let's start with basics. How many siblings do you all have?" Arthur questioned.

"One." He was talking about Emil.

"Una!" Vasilica held up one finger. Well that was new.

"Um…" I counted on my fingers as I spoke. "Four…?" Arthur nodded.

"Right, then. I have six…"

"Can any of you see spiritual creatures?" Lukas said, glancing around. Arthur raised his hand.

"My fairies, of course." Lukas nodded, then looked at me and Vasilica. We both shook our heads. I _wished_ I could see the fairies…

"Alright, who's your favorite singer or band?" Vasilica said, perching his head in his hands.

"It's a hard decision between Alexander Rybak and Sleeping with Sirens." I muttered more to myself than them. I felt Lukas's gaze turn to me.

"Yes, Alexander Rybak…" Lukas agreed. I glanced away.

"I, personally, find Cezar to be amazing. You know, the guy on Eurovision 2013 for Romania?" I held back a laugh. Okay, Vasilica.

"One Direction, I have to say." Arthur shrugged, a faint blush appearing on his cheeks. We all sat in silence for a few moments.

"Any…pets?" I suggested with a shrug.

"Unless my Flying Mint Bunny counts." Arthur looked at me. Okay, he must've been drunk or something, because that sounded like it'd be the name to a Pokemon or something…but no. He was completely serious, asking if it counted.

"Um…sure." Once again, the club went silent, the awkward air settling around us. "This is getting us nowhere." I said after a while.

"The silence is _killing_ me." Vasilica hummed to himself, only proving that he couldn't take the silence much longer. Lukas stood up from his seat.

"Well, if we're not going to do anything, then I'll be off. I have a composition I would like to practice." And off he went on his merry little way to play his violin. At the same time he was leaving the room, Gabby came in looking rather disheveled.

"Sorry I'm late…!" She took a seat where Lukas just was. "I was just…" She paused.

"Making out with Alfred, yes, yes. Nothing new." I muttered. Arthur narrowed his eyes just the slightest and opened to the attendance sheet, crossing out the "A" he had put next to her name. I shook my head slightly. Honestly, that was no reason to be late. She had _after_ the club to do those sorts of things.

"You…still upset about Gilbert?" She looked at me. I shook my head, forcing a small smile.

"No, I'm fine." In truth, I totally was not fine. The guilt of seeing him like that was almost making my chest hurt, and I didn't understand why. It's not like I liked him as any more than a friend or whatever, so it couldn't be that. But the way he looked at me, and started to say something…It was obvious some internal war was going through Gilbert's head about the situation. I just didn't know what it was. And why did he have to go to the office? Counseling, perhaps? Deep down somewhere, I hoped it was. So he could feel better.

I never did find out what he was trying to tell me.


	33. Chapter 32

**_Chapter Thirty-Two_**

**_Gabby's POV_**

"Happy anniversary, baby!" Nothing starts a day off better than waking to those words.

At first, it had been terrifying. Just like every morning ever, I blinked awake, squinted in the dim sunlight, rubbed the sleep out of my eyes, sat up groggily, and groped my side table in search of my glasses so I could see more than two centimeters in front of my face. The dorm was gradually seeping into focus, and the substance of the weird-ass dream I had had that night was slowly slipping out of the fingers of my memory. Reality was circling in…. and letting me acknowledge that someone was sitting on my bedside, a widening grin on their face.

That was when Alfred F. Jones wished me a happy anniversary. It was also when I screamed/gasped/shrieked and jumped back abruptly, banging my head against the wall and immediately crying out in pain.

Al just laughed. "Scare ya, babe?" He lightly ruffled my hair until my heartbeat slowed to a normal pace and my hands leisurely released their grip on the back of my head. Al then pulled me forehead and placed a gentle kiss on the bump forming where I had banged against the wall. Was I dreaming…?

Finally, it dawned on me what the hell was going on. I had almost forgotten the date… December twenty-sixth: a month after Alfred F. Jones had asked me out (and the day after Christmas… But I'll talk about that a little later). Two things excited me about this: one, Alfred and I had been together for exactly a month now; two, people that visited home for the holidays could start returning on the twenty-sixth, and Alfred was one of them.

The squeal I let out was almost inhuman. "_Alfred!_" I flung my arms around him, burying my face in his chest and feeling him pull me closer as his nose nuzzled against the top of my head. Without even opening our eyes, I looked up, him down, and our lips were together. Just the way I like it.

"You wanna get dressed so we can go down and start our _awesome _day?" Al offered after a delicious few minutes of constant lip-locking. As always, I pulled away with a warm tugging feeling in my chest, my eyes momentarily glued to Alfred's handsome face. God, could that boy make out!

"Nah, I was planning on spending the day in my PJs," I answered with a dash of upbeat sarcasm, breaking myself out of that post-kiss trance.

"I dunno, these _are _pretty sexy…" Al stroked the sleeve of my completely unattractive fuzzy, pink leopard print pajamas, then teasingly undid the second button from the top (since the top one had come undone overnight) and ran his fingers across the newly revealed skin. I squealed again, resulting in some motion from my sister's sleeping form on the other side of the room, and hastened to gently shove Alfred away from me. "And y'know, technically, you could. We don't have class until Thursday, and not everyone is back from break yet…"

For a moment, I seriously considered just crawling out of bed and heading downstairs just as I was. "Get lost and lemme get dressed," I decided.

He stood with a salute and an over-exaggerated bow. "Whatever you wish, m'lady." Then he slunk out of the room, leaving me to retrieve a clean uniform and shimmy into it. Side note: my paranoia caused me to feel as if Al's gorgeous blue eyes were still on me all the while, staring through the door or, more reasonably, peeping through the keyhole. It was an unnerving sensation, but… Not too horrible.

Feeling confident on this fine winter morning, I didn't bother to apply any makeup and hardly spent time on my hair. Caliegh was getting up as I joined Al in the hall, but I didn't spare her a second glance. Alfred and I walked hand-in-hand on the way to the cafeteria and talked the whole time. "So how was your Christmas?" I asked cheerily, looking up at my boyfriend. He pecked my lips when he glanced down at me.

"Pretty good, 'cept I missed my girl." He brought my hand to his lips and kissed my knuckles, then resumed holding and swinging it in his. "But it was nice, goin' home with Mattie, seein' my folks…" His usual grin softened for a moment, then his expression went right back to goofy. "How was _your_ Christmas, baby?"

I made an "mm" sort of sound. "Lame… I missed you. Plus I spent most of my time wallowing in guilt 'cause I couldn't afford to get anyone presents…"

Alfred shrugged, grinning as usual. He gave my hand a little squeeze. "It's the thought that counts, ain't it?"

A teensy smile twitched back onto my face. "…yeah. Oh, but I did get a Facebook message from my brother, wishing me a merry Christmas. My old man sent a Christmas card… Said he misses his little girl."

"Did he send one to your sis?"

I stumbled a bit in my walking. "Nah. And I didn't get one from the bitch that birthed me."

The rest of the walk to the cafeteria was silent.

Seeing as we were some of the first to arrive, plus the school's current population was much lesser, we got dibs on whatever breakfast we wanted, which happened to be a waffle and bacon platter that we decided to share. It was deliciously just off the stove, so while waiting for it to cool, I decided to take out my phone and check my online grades. After all, the teachers were supposed to have updated with scores from the most recent tests: the midterms taken right before break.

Normally, I hate when people look over my shoulder while I'm using my phone, but in this case, I mentally _encouraged _Alfred to do so. Maybe seeing my grades would inspire him to, y'know, not flunk. I smiled triumphantly to myself, content that I still had my usual array of A's. Guess those nights of cancelling dates with Al to study for the midterms were worth it. ….And then I was gaping, my heart stopped, as I viewed my grade in Roderich Edelstein's class: an 81.

A low whistle sounded from Alfred. "Damn, girl… Low 80's so do _not _suit you." I was suddenly too wiped to even aim a glare at him. Silently, I clicked on that horrid 81 to see the assignments that made up the grade. As much as Mr. Edelstein and I hated each other's guts, I admit I rather like most of his class. The written exams were usually pretty easy, as were the performance ones (as long as I practiced hard enough). Yeah, it was hard to pay attention to that prick… But all in all, I didn't totally hate the class itself and always managed at least a 92.

…So how the hell did _this _happen?!

The midterms, that's how. See, everyone was super excited for this, because we got to be creative for once. It was a performance test… with our own compositions. We had to compose a page of music, perform it on our chosen instrument, and hand in the sheet music, all for a grade. A grade of _70/100, _in my case. Keep in mind this was a major grade. Shaking, I read the teacher comments for the assessment. _"Lacked creativity and enthusiasm."_

"You son of a _bitch! _I spent weeks on that piece!" I hissed aloud.

"Eesh, looks like he went pretty hard on you…"

I spun around to look at him (though not really seeing anything but red), poison in my glare and words. "You think?!" I raked my fingers through my bangs, digging them into my scalp and groaning against my palms. Suddenly, I was standing up. I don't recall when this change of motion happened. "Bet you my perfect _sister _got a fucking 100! He worships her, I swear to God…"

Now Alfred was also standing, his hand resting gently on my elbow. "Whoa, babe, calm down! You're upset, I getcha, but c'mon, we can handle this…"

"_How?!"_

Alfred flinched at my volume. "…Uh…" A sheepish version of his normal cocky grin flashed on his face. "We can get revenge on that prissy prick. We could, like, wreck his classroom or something."

When his words actually computed in my head, I froze. Get revenge… Images of ripping up piano keys, shredding sheet music, snipping violin strings, dismantling music stands, and spray painting framed pictures of composers streamed through my infuriated mind. Then suddenly, with a jolt of sanity, I caught myself and realized that vandalizing school property would _hardly _make things better. Yes, it'd relieve a lot of anger… But that's what Al's violent video games were for. Inhaling a deep breath, I gradually sat back down and then exhaled. Alfred followed suit. "…that might be a little extreme… I think he might purposely fail me if he finds out I destroyed his room."

"Who said he'd find out?" Alfred reasoned with a wink.

I gave him a tired look, but I think I smiled a little. "We're not gonna wreck his classroom, Alfred. …But we _will _mess with him, somehow."

Alfred pouted, obviously disappointed that he wouldn't get to smash any keyboards. "Like how?"

"I dunno, I'll think of something… For now, open up." I cut and pierced a piece of syrupy waffle from our plate, and tapped the fork against Alfred's mouth. Grinning, he opened and bit down, while at the same time feeding me a slice of bacon. My adrenaline level was already beginning to drop blissfully.

It came to me while in Al's dorm, listening to him play guitar and getting a little lip action every so often. "Jesus, how do you even find what music you're looking for?" I asked incredulously as Alfred searched through his folder of sheet music in search of an original song he'd composed the previous year. Said folder was a mess, covered in duct tape due to surpassing its maximum capacity, and crinkly papers sticking out every which way.

"Oh, and _your _sheet music is kept perfectly neatly?" he mused with a raised eyebrow, flinching as he accidentally ripped the corner off a piece of paper.

"Yes, actually, I try to. It's the one pet peeve I share with m sister." I paused, then shuddered. "Ew, it's a pet peeve I share with _Mr. Edelstein, _too. Ratchet." It was then that some gears in my head began to turn. I abruptly sat up straight. "Dude, I got it. I know how to get back at Mr. Edelstein!"

By this point, Alfred had abandoned his fruitless search through his music folder. Obvious interest snaked across his grinning face. "Tell me more."

But I didn't tell him more; I was standing and heading out into the hall. "I'll explain on the way, we gotta hurry. He always takes coffee breaks at exactly 11:00, and it's 10:55 now…"

"Uh, _how _do you know this?" Al questioned, following me out the door nonetheless.

"My sister told me, as if I'd actually care about that douche bag's schedule. Don't ask how _she _knows, she probably stalks his every move."

We passed Mr. Edelstein a few minutes later, which meant we were successful in making it to his room after the coast was clear. He didn't even glance at us; good riddance. Looking up and down all neighboring hallways first, Alfred and I crept into the music room, closing the door silently behind us.

"So, lemme get this straight. We're just gonna put all his sheet music in different boxes?" Al confirmed.

My heart was fluttering with a combination of excitement and nervousness. I'd never done something so risky, so _bad… _Not to a teacher, at least. "Not all of it, he's got way too many for that. Like, thousands. But as many as we can."

Alfred nodded twice, already striding over to the massive shelves of sheet music boxes. "Cool, cool. Ooh, and what if we switched the covers on some of them?"

I grinned at him over my shoulder, since I had headed to the shelves on the opposite side of the room. "You are an evil genius."

The next 15 minutes were _awesome. _Funny, how I could recall staying after class with a few of my buddies to help our beloved choir director organize and sort away music, while now my boyfriend and I were doing the exact opposite to a music teacher whom I would gladly love to see drenched in rotted egg yolk. I, ironically, developed an organized system of disorganization: take a few covers from one box, replace them in several other boxes, and slide those in other boxes still. Alfred seemed to be doing it more randomly, folding and mixing up the sheets in the process. It was great, and felt _oh _so good.

….until Mr. Edelstein returned early from his coffee break.

When I heard the click of the door handle, I froze in place, while Alfred continued merrily screwing with the sheet music. The door swung open and we both snapped our gazes toward it, classic _"Oh shit" _expressions on our faces. Mr. Edelstein nearly dropped his coffee mug at the sight of us. "….and just _what _are you two doing in here."

Of course, neither of us had a response. I gulped, already shaking as Mr. Edelstein's face grew redder and redder. "Mr. Jones, Ms. Bibus…. Detention," he growled.

Having been quite the goody-two-shoes when it came to schoolwork, I had never before heard such words spoken to me. Suddenly, that 70 seemed _really _appealing.


	34. Chapter 33

**_Chapter Thirty-Three_**

**_Caliegh's POV_**

"You did _what_?!" I briefly choked on the tea I was sipping, staring at my sister in shock.

"I may or may not have gotten a detention from Mr. Edelstein." She frowned to herself slightly, shrugging. I furrowed my eyebrows together, pursing my lips. She was seriously stupid for getting detention. I wouldn't have even _thought _of getting one.

"What have I told you? Mr. Edelstein gets back from coffee break at exactly 11;37 every day so that he can grade papers." I uncrossed my legs and leaned back into the couch in our dorm, taking another slow sip of tea.

"It's funny how you thought I'd listen." Gabby gave me a small smile from her place at the desk, filling out a detention slip.

"Well now you got detention, genius."

"Well…!" She whined, pouting.

"'Well' nothin', you deserved that. I'll have you know that I was trying to find _New World Symphony Theme _today to practice. And what did I find?" I paused. "Frickin' _Mozart Serenade_." I set my empty cup down on the coffee table. She ignored me. I groaned, sort of to get her attention. "_Dragon Slayer _was in the wrong place, too." I stayed silent for a moment, watching her scribble around on a piece of paper. "Are you even listening to me?!"

"Boo hoo for you." She simply muttered. I huffed, crossing my arms and standing.

"Well, I'm just going to go help Mr. Edelstein fix what you did. How absolutely immature it was for you to go and wreck the sheet music…" I glanced back at her, then silently slipped my shoes onto my feet. "Don't miss me too much." I said with a half-grin and a wave, stepping out of the room and locking the door behind me.

I regretted snapping at my sister as soon as I left the room. Often, she would tell me how I needed to be less snappy…Oh well._Why would she even do such a thing? _I thought.

_I bet this is because of Alfred._

It clicked in my head.

_He's changing her way too much._

I shook it off, carefully stepping down the stairs that led up to the girls' dorms, turning the corner at the end to the music classroom. Inside, I rejoiced the fact that the classroom was so close to our dorms. It meant that I could visit whenever I felt the urge, whether it be to play my violin or simply pop in to say hello.

I clicked the door open, peering my head in. "Mr. Edelstein, you here?" I gazed over the room, noticing him sitting on the floor with dozens—no, hundreds—of stacks of sheet music surrounding him. He had his glasses sitting up on the chair next to him, running his fingers through his hair. I stared for a moment, noticing just how worn out he actually looked, and how stressed he must've been. After a minute or so, he looked up at me with a shocked expression.

"Miss Higgins…! Ah, what're you doing at this late hour…" He sounded flustered in my presence, staring up at me with wide eyes. I entered the classroom, shooting him a smile.

"I thought I might help you. Since it _is_ my sister's doing and all." I sat on my knees in front of him, pulling my skirt down over my knees. "Mind if I do?" Mr. Edelstein shook his head.

"I appreciate the help, Miss Higgins." I nodded once, immediately reaching for a box of music in front of me.

"My, my..." I flipped through the music. "Well this isn't the correct song at all."

"Indeed. Could you find the boxes for these as well?" Mr. Edelstein pointed to several stacks of music. I nodded, pulling myself to my feet and practically floating to the large shelves where the music was filed.

"Aha, you have so much…" I could feel a smile tugging at the corners of my mouth; the anticipation of being around so much music was enough to drive me crazy with excitement. I pulled a few boxes out, bringing them back to Mr. Edelstein.

"Thank you…Could you possibly put these back? Please, in numerical order." He sighed, rubbing his hand over his face and handing me several boxes. I gazed down at one.

"Triumphal March from Aida…" I smiled. "I have this on my iPod, the one performed by Vienna Philharmonic." Mr. Edelstein paused while shifting through several sheets and looked up at me.

"Such fine tastes in music you have…They are quite the astounding group, _ja_?" I grinned to myself, turning away from him. I could feel the giddy blush creeping onto my cheeks.

"Very." I walked back to the archives, biting my lip to keep from grinning so much. I lost concentration, and I noticed I slid a box in the wrong slot. I sighed to myself and took it back out, seeing I had read the number backwards. It wasn't fifty-one, it was fifteen. I paused, looking up at the slot for the said number. It was in the top row. I gaped at it for a moment, then stood on my very tip-toes to reach the space. I cursed under my breath for being so short, practically hopping just to try and reach.

"Here, allow me, Miss." Mr. Edelstein came from behind me, placing a hand on my shoulder and taking the box from me. He reached over my head and slid the box perfectly in place, calmly smiling down at me.

"Ah, geez…sorry about that." I coughed into my fist, blushing once more. I couldn't help but think…_damn_, Mr. Edelstein was gorgeous. I really didn't understand why Miss Héderváry divorced this man.

The room was silent for quite a while.

"I must say, Miss Higgins. I am rather impressed with your wide knowledge about music." Mr. Edelstein said, adjusting his glasses. I laughed airily, sitting in one of the chairs beside him. "I was quite taken with you when I first saw you perform. I must say, your fluid hand movements along the piano keys were gorgeous, and your voice is beautiful. Like an angel, dear."

"Th-thank you…!" I laughed nervously, bowing my head slightly. "Not really, but…"

"You're much more of a violin player, aren't you?" I froze.

"How can you tell, sir?"

"When you play piano…your movements were a little odd for that of a pianist. You look as if you'd like your whole body to move, that you wish the instrument to move with you. Am I right?" I stared at my lap. How could he tell something like that about a person just by observing their movements?

"Yes…yes, sir. I prefer my violin."

"As I thought." He smiled for a moment. "You certainly do feel emotion in the music you play, though."

"It…gets to me, a lot of times."

"And that's very good, Miss Higgins. I could especially tell during our last performance assignment recently." I immediately covered my mouth, eyes wide.

"Oh my goodness, no…I missed a note when I was playing my composition! And I made a crescendo when I wasn't supposed to…" My heart began racing, remembering the horrid performance I did in front of the whole class.

"I noticed." I paused for a second.

"But…I got a one hundred on that."

"You did." He was smiling to himself, writing with a permanent marker on a box to label a new box, taping it shut.

"Why."

"Because I was absolutely _enraptured_ by your performance technique, I didn't think it mattered that you changed your piece a little to suit your tastes better." He looked up at me, flashing that rare smile once again. I wanted to say something, but I didn't know what to say.

"Uh…thank…you…" I really was at a loss for words. Maybe it was partially because it was late, but mostly because I felt rather…nervous, I guess, around him. Yet oddly happy. I mean, he was my favorite teacher, but was this really necessary?

"Ah, Miss Higgins! It's nearly nine o'clock!" I snapped my head up.

"Seriously? I managed to stay here for that long? Oh, sorry, Mr. Edelstein…" I stood quickly, smoothing out my skirt. "I guess I'll be going now." I quickly bowed, shuffling to the door to leave. Mr. Edelstein also stood, following me to the door.

"_Nein_, thank you. Really, Caliegh, I appreciate the help." He placed a hand on my shoulder, once again smiling for what seemed like the millionth time today.

"You're welcome, sir…Goodnight, Mr. Edelstein." I smiled kindly at him.

"Goodnight, Miss Higgins. Now hurry off." I nodded, then rushed back up the stairs to the dorm room. When I entered, Gabby was coming out of the bathroom, rubbing her hair with a towel.

"Took long enough, Kay. Lose your virginity yet?" My eyes widened, and I shook my head rapidly.

"Excuse you?!" Gabby rolled her eyes playfully.

"Oh, please. We all know how you and Mr. Edelstein secretly have sex during your little meetings." I shot her a glare.

"That's illegal. I would never."

"Because we all know you never enjoy breaking rules."

"Unlike you." I opened the bathroom door, slipping off my shoes and undoing my tie, flinging it onto the bed (it didn't land there, but whatever). "You aren't afraid to be a total badass, eh?"

"_I'm _the badass? Now watch it, you. You were the one who threw your tie onto the floor!" Gabby grinned. "That's pretty badass if you ask me."

"Ah, yes. I forgot." I chuckled under my breath. "I'm taking a shower. Hope you left hot water." I slipped quietly into the bathroom, praying in my head that my little…_attraction_ for Mr. Edelstein wouldn't last long.


	35. Chapter 34

**_Chapter Thirty-Four_**

**_Gabby's POV_**

Detention wasn't _half _as terrifying as I expected it to be.

As mentioned, I'd never received a detention before in my life. My record was squeaky clean. At first, it gave me a rush of adrenaline, filling out that detention slip. I felt like such a badass, such a rebel; like I was diving toward the edge for once. But now, as I sashayed down to the detention room to actually fulfill my punishment, the excitement gradually wore off and my goody-two-shoes conscience wiggled back into place. The pride in my walk decreased with each step so that by the time I reached the detention room, I had practically made myself invisible.

There was no teacher present; just a sign-in sheet, and a bunch of juvenile delinquents. Many of them I recognized, though there were plenty of unfamiliar faces. Either way, they all appeared as intimidating dark figures that saw me as their next meal. I kept my eyes to the floor as I willed myself to the front of the room to sign in, though I couldn't escape the feeling of at least twenty pairs of eyes glued to me. It was unnerving enough to turn my legs to jelly. "Hey, check it, a newbie!"

My breath caught in my throat at the sound of this voice obviously aimed at me. I was dead, I was so dead… I didn't belong here, I was an honor student…! Was it true that bad kids can smell fear? I hadn't even built up the nerve to turn around yet when someone else called, "Yo, Alfie! We was waitin' for ya." I spun around toward the door, only to have a pair of familiar strong arms wrap around me with the words "Hey, babe" whispered in my ear. Alfred grinned down at me, then at the rest of the room, snaking his arm around my waist. Another wave of greetings was aimed at him. "Guys, I'd like ya to meet my girl, Gabby."

Al's presence made me feel a great deal more secure, though I was still pretty anxious. "Uh, hi, everyone… I'm Al's girlfriend." Woo, those words felt nice coming out of my lips. The others replied with a chorus of "Hey/hi/'sup Gabby." Thankfully, most of their eyes turned away after that and returned to their normal conversations, apparently content with my existence so long as I was acquainted with Alfred F. Jones.

"Why am I not surprised that everyone knows you in the detention room," I muttered affectionately as Alfred scribbled his rock-star signature on the sign-in sheet.

"Because _I _am a badass mofo." His hand slid back into place on my waist, and he led me to a chair in the back of the room (seemingly reserved for him) where he plopped himself down and pulled me onto his lap. The position I sat in was admittedly provocative, what with my short uniform skirt and everything. Then again, I doubted anyone in a room of troublemakers would think lowly of me for sitting like a slut.

"So what're you in for this time?" Al asked, nodding his head at the guy seated directly in front of us. Something about him- his face, his demeanor- just _screamed _trouble. Maybe it was just his surplus of facial piercings. He smirked.

"While Ms. Héderváry was yellin' at me 'bout my behavior, I told her I'd like to misbehave with _her, _if ya know what I mean. Bitch didn't take it very well, she's got _no _sense of humor," the guy explained. I covered my mouth so he didn't see my jaw drop. Alfred, on the other hand, laughed pretty damn hard.

"Dude, she ain't even that hot!"

The scary guy shrugged. "Whatever, I think she's a babe. What're _you _here about? Gotta be good, knowin' you."

I felt Al's arm tighten itself around my waist, pulling me closer against him. "That prick Mr. Edelstein was being a real jackass to my babe. So we went in and screwed around with his music." I smiled way too timidly, waving with my fingers.

Scary Guy clicked his tongue and shook his head. "And you got busted? Damn, man, you're losin' it. Anyway, you hear about Ivan Braginski?"

Oh, I knew about Ivan Braginski… He gave me the _creeps. _I was fortunate enough to not have any classes with him, but I'd seen him in the halls and heard some disturbing stories about them. Most of them were weird rumors, like that he used to drink blood in his bottle when he was a baby, but some (like how he threatens to beat people with a pipe while smiling serenely) are eerily believable and true. "Who, that freaky Russian dude?"

"That's the one," Scary Guy confirmed with a nod. "Well, the higher-ups fin'ly caught him. Wrote up a week's worth of detention for 'harassing the student body.' He should be here any moment."

As if discussing him was some sort of summoning ceremony, Ivan Braginski entered the room a mere few seconds later. His presence was enough to make the whole room go silent and stare at him, taking up the whole doorway with his massive height. His signature smile was gentle on his face, and he strolled right up to the sign-in sheet as if he didn't even acknowledge that anyone else was in the room. Everyone's eyes peeled away from him as he headed down the aisle of desks to the back row, where he took a seat beside a thick-haired girl with her face buried in her arms, quite possibly asleep. She was in the seat in the corner closest to the window, while Al and I sat three seats in; in other words, Ivan Braginski was sitting right beside us. I slowly slid into the empty seat to Al's left, inconspicuous as possible.

Nobody dared to look his way or even breathe, yet I can tell we all were alert to exactly what he was doing. _"Privet, _miss." For a moment, everything was still except for the occasional blinking of eyes, until the probably-sleeping girl realized that she was the one being addressed. She sat up and leisurely turned toward Ivan, her eyes rounding when she caught his unblinking stare. A conversation quietly resumed somewhere across the room, until the usual buzz of talk gradually resumed. Still, my ears stayed atoned to Ivan and this mysterious girl.

"…hello," she responded awkwardly. I applaud her for that: I would have been scared out of my wits.

"I'm rather positive that you have been staring at me for the past few lunch periods," Ivan continued, his expression completely unfaltering. The girl blinked her mascara-lined eyes a few times, averting her gaze.

"Uh, no, I don't-"

"I would like it if you didn't lie to me." Ivan tilted his head slightly, _still _smiling. "Do you have a problem with me, _devushka?"_

"No, I don't have a problem. I just thought you were someone else, is all," she answered quickly. Damn, the girl worked well under pressure.

"Someone else?" Ivan repeated.

"Uh huh. Some guy I used to know." Her eyes (brown in color, I now saw) still wouldn't meet Ivan's face.

I felt a jolt of terror shudder through me as Ivan's smile widened. "Well that is nice. _Spasibo, _good-bye." And with that, he stood up and brought his smiling self to the front row instead.

I hesitated a moment, then while Al struck up a conversation with some short guy sitting adjacent to him, I scooted my seat back and stood. Running my hand across the back of Al's seat and pressing a kiss to his hair when I passed ('cause I'm just that affectionate), I took the seat Ivan Braginski just abandoned. "What was _that _about?"

The girl looked at me kind of uncertainly. "I didn't even know I stare at him. I guess I just zone out at lunch and happen to look his way…"

I gave an understanding nod. "He's creepy as hell, isn't he?"

The girl paused. "…Yeah, but I also think he's kind of cool."

Well, there's nothing wrong with accepting different people, I suppose. "I don't think I've seen you around… What's your name?"

"Gabby." I perked up and glanced around, wondering who in this room had called me because that sure as heck wasn't Alfred's voice calling me. …But then it clicked that nobody was calling me; this girl was answering my question.

A half awkward, half bemused grin appeared on my face. "No way, same here! What's 'Gabby' short for?"

"Gabrielle," she answered sitting up a little straighter.

"_Same here!" _Now we were both displaying unsure/happy grins.

We exchanged a few more basic questions, and I found out we had even _more _in common. We were both sixteen years old, both newbies to the detention room (her felony was falling asleep in class one too many times), both from New Jersey, both preferred dogs over cats, both listened to the band Three Days Grace, both played Xbox, and both enjoyed the color purple. "What did you say you were in here for?" she asked, both of us increasingly ecstatic.

"Oh, I didn't say. The music teacher gave me a shitty grade, so me and my boyfriend," I nodded at Al, and he waved back with a goofy grin, "switched his sheet music around. He walked in, though, and got _really _pissed…"

"Damn, that sucks… That's your boyfriend?" Gabby confirmed, giving a slight nod at Alfred since he had turned back around.

"Yup… He's an idiot, but I'm lucky."

Gabby nodded. "He's in my math class. Not bad," she complimented half jokingly. "I'm single," she added as an afterthought.

"Aw… Well hey, don't worry, a pretty girl like you won't stay single for long! …No homo," I quickly added, recognizing how extremely awkward that just sounded. Gabby shook her head, giving a flap to her hand.

"Nah, I wasn't thinking that anyway. But thanks."

My god, this was so awesome. Don't get me wrong, it was GREAT having guy friends, but it felt so… Odd. I'm sure I've discussed this before, but I really wasn't used to having male friends. I'd always been surrounded by other girls, my best friend throughout middle school being a chick named Hailey: basically a skinnier, longer-and-darker-haired version of me. We had grown close by conversing basically the same way this Gabby girl and I were, and now we still texted and emailed when we had the time. Really, it shocks me that I neglected to mention my old best friend until now… I'm sorry, if she ever reads this. I guess with being reunited with my sister and meeting all these _amazing _guys, I just didn't think to bring her up… Well, I'm bringing her up now. And now that I do so, I realize how much I missed having a gal pal.

Back to Gabby, we talked for the rest of detention (the teacher never showed up; Scary Guy said they probably quit, after the last detention day. Yikes), and exchanged schedules (turns out we have the same lunch period, and one mutual free period) so we could find the time to bond a little bit. It was finally clicking that the main thing I lacked at Hetalia Academy was a gal pal: one I could actually _talk to,_ not just go over homework with. It was a huge relief, really… Now my only concern was that Caliegh didn't swoop in and steal her away from me.

Gabby and I walked out of the room together, until Alfred caught up with me and we went our separate ways. Al and I stopped in our favorite corridor- the one right near the staircase- for a little lip action before bidding good-night and heading up to bed. God, if it was this great each time, I'd get a detention more often! ….I won't, by the way.


	36. Chapter 35

**_Chapter Thirty-Five_**

**_Caliegh's POV_**

"_Nous sommes trop près d'amis ..._" I could hear Matthew's voice from where I was standing at the refreshments table to pour tea into my little teacup. I smiled a little to myself. It was cute that he knew French. Often, he, Francis, and Gabby would have little conversations like this in French. I didn't usually understand more than a few words.

"_Qu'est-ce que vous allez faire, Mathieu?_" I glanced over. There was slight concern in Francis's voice as he said this.

"_Allez-vous rompre avec elle?_" Gabby muttered, chewing slowly on the end of a French fry.

"_Oui…Je dois le faire._" I frowned to myself as I listened, not noticing Yao had shown up beside me. He noticed my expression, though, and immediately prodded my shoulder with his finger.

"Why do you look so upset, aru? Is there a problem?" I shook my head, standing straight and stirring the sugar into my tea.

"Just, my friends over there sound concerned. I probably shouldn't be listening, but still…" I leaned against the counter, slowly sipping the hot liquid. "Anything new with you?" Yao paused.

"Yes, actually. There's this _girl_…Ivan is obsessed with her. I don't understand!" He frowned in annoyance, crossing his arms. "I don't get it, what's so great about _her_?! Am I not cute enough, aru?!" He complained. "I hate losing…" I laughed lightly.

"Well what's the girl's name, do you know?"

"_Gabby_." He said it like she was some new disgusting disease. I froze whilst sipping my tea, slowly turning to face him.

"My sister Gabby, or…?" He flapped his hand (well, sleeve; his hands were completely hidden with his sleeves).

"No, some other one. She has brown hair." He huffed to himself. We sat in silence until his eyes widened. "Look, right there, aru! At your table!" I gazed over to see a girl laughing alongside Gabby (but not sitting next to her). Her hair was indeed a dark brown, thick and cut into layers to fall to her shoulders. Her skin was pale, yet she looked a little Italian…I had to see who she was.

"Sorry…Yao. I need to see who this girl is. And why she's intruding on you and Ivan's love life." I gave him a little wink, then took my teacup along with me as I stepped up to the girl. "Pardon…who is this?" I motioned to her with one hand. My sister whipped her head around to face me, then hugged the other protectively.

"My new friend Gabby. Don't steal her." I stared at her blankly.

"And why _would_ I." I sighed, taking my seat in-between Matthew and Gilbert.

"Because you alwa-"

"So can I call you Gabrielle? This would get confusing." I nodded at the new Gabby. She nodded a quick and curt nod.

"Yeah, of course. If it makes it easier." She paused for a moment, studying my face, it seemed. "Hey, Gabby…is this your sister? The one that has sex with Mr. Edelstein?" My eyes widened and I choked on my tea, shaking my head rapidly.

"I do not…!" Gilbert made a sort of snorting sound in attempt to not laugh, but gave in. He leaned his head on my shoulder, laughing like a lunatic.

"Oh, _mein gott_, so that's where you go every afternoon after dinner!" I kicked him in the ankles, feeling my cheeks flush deep red.

"_Nein_, I take _showers_ in the afternoon!" I glanced away, hand over my mouth to at least hide some of the blush.

"Ooh, using my language!" He moved his lips right next to my ear. "I love it when you do that."

"Those two dating?" Gabrielle spoke up, pointing to the two of us.

"No!"

"I wish~!" I crossed my arms, smirking playfully.

"It will never happen. I'm dating Matthew, anyway." I glanced at Matthew, who gave an uncomfortable smile. I tilted my head to one side, giving him a concerned look. He bit his lip, then slowly stood.

"Come with me, Caliegh. We need to talk." Well _shit_. I knew what was coming, based on the tone of his voice…and you never want to hear "we need to talk" come from your boyfriend's mouth. He dragged me off to the side, away from the others. He nervously rang his hands together, staring at his feet. "Kay, we're best friends, eh…b-but, I…I think that's why I can't, _date_ you." I paused, nodding slowly. My heart sank a little, but not too much.

Because surprisingly, I didn't care.

"I understand, Mattie." I smiled up at him. And I meant it. I really understood why he was breaking up with me. "Honestly, I think we'd be better off as just friends, wouldn't you say?" Matthew's eyes widened.

"You understand? You aren't…upset?" I shook my head.

"Not really." I smirked softly to myself. "I mean, I'm sure gonna miss that maple syrup taste your lips always had, but…you know. I'll get over it." A flustered blush crossed his cheeks. He opened his mouth to say something, then closed it. He gently put his hands on my shoulders. Honestly, I was kinda confused. What was he-?

He pressed his lips gently to mine, causing my eyes to widen. What was he _doing_?! I pulled away after a couple seconds, staring up at him, hoping for an explanation.

"It was one last kiss to remember." He simply said with a shrug of his shoulders. I smiled to myself, kissing two of my fingers and patting them to his cheek.

"You're adorable, Matthew. I'm glad we're still friends." I smiled, going back to the table and taking my place beside Gilbert. He was kinda smiling softly to himself. "What, Gilly?"

"Well…I knew it wouldn't last. You two were so close, I knew it wouldn't." He laughed under his breath, and I smiled, nudging his ankle with my foot.

"You're funny, you have no faith."

O~O~O~O~O~O

_It was dark, damp, and hauntingly quiet. My footsteps echoed off the brick walls, coated with wet, sticky moss. My shoes were off, the murky and turbid water coating my feet with uncomforting goo. I scowled with disgust, reaching my hands out to the mossy walls surrounding me in order to stay balanced upright. I could feel my clothes were ripped in too many places to count; I was only wearing loose cotton pants with a tunic of the same material._

_ What was this place?_

_ In the distance, I saw light. Next to the light tunnel was a tunnel as dark as the latter was bright. Neither looked better than the other; one was too bright, the other was too dark. I frowned to myself, raising a hand to my head. I was dizzy, and my head was pounding. I felt sick. I knew I was about to blackout, so I stopped walking for a moment. I felt the water around my ankles become still, not moving. A liquid dripped onto my hand from the walls, and I immediately pulled away._

_ That was an awful choice. I stumbled back a step, pulling both hands to my head. I felt tears burning my eyes. I coughed, the awful stench of the place making me gag. I was wobbling, unbalanced. Both of my hands found their way back to the wall. No, wait. Not the wall. Someone was there with me, someone familiar…_

_ He wrapped his arms around my waist, holding me up. My legs felt totally useless, and all of my only support was coming from this person. I felt like I could die any second, but this person here was helping me live…like he was keeping me from letting go of my life._

_ That ended when gunshots were heard in the distance, echoing throughout the maze. The person froze, kissed my head, then set me gently on my knees in the water. I didn't last long in that position, for moments later I had fallen over, lying in the dirty water. I painfully raised my head to see the person run off. He glanced back at me, eyes widening when he heard shouts from the other end of the tunnel. From the light of the bright entrance, I managed to see his face a little._

_ Bright red eyes._

_ "Gil…?" My voice came out as nothing more than a raspy whisper. He gave me a sad look, mouthing, "I love you," then disappeared into the light tunnel. I coughed, gagging on the taste of the water at my lips. Tears ran down my face._

_ "I found her." A gruff voice said. I was soon picked up and thrown over someone's shoulder, frail and limp. As they carried me off in the dark tunnel, the opposite of the one Gilbert ran into, I couldn't do anything but convince myself that this was Hell._

O~O~O~O~O~O

I woke up sweating, my dirty-blonde curls sticking to my forehead. I wrinkled my nose in disgust, slipping out of bed and going to the bathroom, muttering under my breath.

"What an odd dream."


	37. Chapter 36

**_Chapter Thirty-Six_**

**_Gabby's POV_**

Imagine designing an arrangement of dominoes. It could be a complex picture, or simply a domino chain. Either way, you dedicate hours of effort into carefully placing each individual domino down, until your masterpiece is at last complete. You stand back and admire the creation with pride for a good while…. Then something comes along and ruins it. Something knocks into the first domino- a gust of wind, or perhaps a marble. Regardless, the dominoes topple one after the other. In a matter of seconds, all your hard work is for nothing.

Consider that an accurate representation of my relationship with Alfred.

At the start of the day, it wasn't about me: it was about my sister. I was patiently waiting in line for my breakfast when I felt an arm wrap friendlily around my neck. Oh joy, who was it today… "So I hear your sister's single now." Ah, Gilbert.

I nodded, peeling his arm off of me. "Mattie was so nervous, the poor guy…" I clicked my tongue at the memory, recalling the secret conversation Matthew, Francis, and I had had regarding Matthew's relationship with Caliegh. "He thought she'd hate him for friend zoning her. But lucky for him, she had the same intentions…." In fact, the two were currently at the table together, chatting casually over their plates of pancakes.

"_Ja, ja, _thought so…." Gilbert flapped his hand, his gaze somewhere besides my face. Had he even listened to me? Suddenly, his eyes were staring into mine. "I need you to tell me something."

"Mm." The line had moved up, so I turned and took a few steps up. Gilbert remained practically on my heels.

"How can I get Kay to like me?"

The question caught me off guard, yet at the same time, it wasn't the slightest bit surprising. The constant flirting and teasing Gilbert did to my sister… It was rather obvious that he had deeper intentions. That he wasn't just hitting on her, he was legitimately interested. "I mean, she's your _schvester, _so I figured you'd-"

"You don't have to do anything." It wasn't that I didn't know what makes Caliegh tick, although that is true. She's so impossible to read, even to her _twin… _Anyway, I could just tell that Caliegh harbored some affection for Gilbert, deep down. Her body language around him, the way she shoved him around and talked to him…

"How can you tell?" Gilbert asked, wide-eyed incredulously.

"Just take my word for it." Okay, Gilly deserved a better explanation than that…. "…I'll say this much. There were two reasons I knew she and Mattie wouldn't last. One, she hasn't been as… love struck anymore. I could just feel the love fading. And two…. She says your name in her sleep, Gilbert."

This certainly was news to him. His jaw dropped. "Like… How does she say it?" A nervous little smirk twitched on the corners of his mouth. "Pleadingly? _Sexually?"_

I laughed at that. Gosh, he looked so intrigued… "She just kind of murmurs it, I dunno. Point is, she likes you, and I can go on and on with why I know ."

He perked up, following me still as the line progressed. "Could you?"

"Nah." And I wasn't even joking. I just smiled, took my food, and strode off to pay with Gilbert gaping at me as I left.

Breakfast was completely normal. I sat nearly on Alfred's lap, the two of us feeding each other bits of our meals and sharing the occasional kiss. We held hands around school, sneaking off to make out in our favorite hallway. I didn't have a single feeling of foreboding in my system. It was around lunchtime that things started to head downhill.

"Excuse me, may I have a word?" Al and I stopped in the cafeteria doorway, glancing over our shoulders to face the person that this unfamiliar voice belonged to. It turned out to be some spectacled Asian boy I don't recall seeing before, holding a notepad and pen in his hand. He pushed his glasses up with the tip of the pen. "I'm from the Newspaper Club, and I'm doing an article on twins, triplets, and quadruplets. I've found quite a few triplets and twins, but you two and your brother and sister are the only set of quadruplets in this school!"

Alfred and I exchanged a dumbfounded glance, then proceeding to stare at this weird kid. "Uh, I don't _have _a brother," was my slow response. I mean, yes, I have Joey and Josh. But they weren't important right now.

That really seemed to catch the Asian off guard. "What? But…. Matthew and Caliegh are your siblings, correct?"

"Mattie's my bro, uh huh, but Caliegh is _her _sis. We aren't related," Alfred explained, one eyebrow raised.

The kid's jaw dropped. "Wait, but-! Then how are you two," he motioned at us with his pen, "acquainted, if not siblings?"

Was he serious? Al and I had our fingers entwined together, and depending on how long this guy was following us, he had probably seen us share a kiss or nose-nuzzle. "We're _dating,_" I said, disgusted at the idea of being in a relationship with my (nonexistent) _twin brother._

"Where I come from, incest is perfectly normal," the kid replied, giving a little tilt to his head. Ew… He bowed. "Sorry for the mix up…. Have a nice day!" With that, the little weirdo sped off.

We both stared after him, a little dazed. "That was so…"

"…_weird," _we finished in unison. …just like I always do with Caliegh… Oh, God. This sudden feeling in my chest was _not _a good one.

Shaking our heads, we headed to the lunch line in silence. There was this awkward vibe surrounding us the whole time: something that _never _occurred between us, the two most talkative Americans in the school. Our hands slipped down to our sides upon entering the cafeteria, and when Alfred headed off to get a hamburger, I decided I was suddenly in the mood for pizza. So I headed to the line farthest away from where my boyfriend stood.

What the hell was going on?! It didn't even make sense. So that stranger thought Al and I were siblings, so what? Yeah, of course that would leave us feeling awkward at first, but it was the type of thing we'd normally just grin and laugh off a couple minutes later. I hoped things would have sizzled back to normal by the time we sat at the table, and they _almost _did. We smiled at each other upon sitting down, and had a brief little silly conversation… But I could tell something was wrong. Our smiles and voices were too insincere, too forced. I don't even know how bad it would have gotten if Francis hadn't drawn me into a conversation that lasted the entirety of the lunch period.

As per our regular routine, Al and I met in his dorm to play some Xbox. I sat in my usual beanbag chair, Alfred sat on his, and we kissed for a little bit while we waited for the console to turn on. I felt my heart drop when we pulled away to sign in, my body going numb: it was the blandest kissing session we had ever experienced, and the awkward atmosphere made it clear that we both knew it. If I had known that that would be the last time my lips would touch Alfred's, perhaps I would have paid it more mind.

We didn't even chitchat as we started up the game, like we usually did. I wanted to, but…. I just wasn't in a mood to talk. That wasn't anything too abnormal, I always had those days…. But the fact that _Alfred _was being quiet was really concerning. "We playing online?"

The sound of his voice made me jump. "Oh, uh, I was thinking we could just do co-op."

He flashed me a grin; his usual grin. I melted with relief. "Cool by me."

At that point, it was normal for us to not communicate with each other. We were too busy applying commentary and focusing on killing each other. It stayed like that for a good 10 minutes, and my discomfort was settling in the back of my mind, when Alfred suddenly directed his words to me. "…Gabby, we're bros, aren't we?"

My fingers froze on the controller, causing my character to drop defense and die immediately. I couldn't care less. There was something in Alfred's tone, some uncharacteristic seriousness, that revealed an underlying meaning. I could feel the dominoes beginning to topple.

I drew in a deep breath and paused the game. "…Yeah. We're bros."

Alfred smiled sadly at me, creating an expression that didn't suit his bubbly personality. He set his controller on the floor. "Man, what are we doing…. We gotta quit while we're ahead, before one of us gets hurt, y'know?" Yes, I knew exactly what he meant. We said we were in love, but truly, we both knew we weren't…. If we were, the thought of breaking up would be unthinkable. So, we needed to end it before one of us _did _fall in love.

"We should be just friends," I murmured. …wow, was it natural for a breakup to be so… _painless?_

"Nah, that won't work." Oh. _There's _the pain. The aching only doubled when Alfred _grinned _at me. "We can't ever be 'just friends.' Nah, we're _best _friends. BFFL's. Bros. Just like we are now, minus the make out sessions!"

A tiny smile twitched at the corners of my mouth, my heart swelling back to its regular state. "Yeah, that's true." The atmosphere seemed to lift as we both grinned at each other, returning to our game. I won in the end, 3 out of 5.

Yes, all the dominoes fell, destroying our romantic relationship. But… All the dominoes- the friendship and events we put into our relationship- still remained. Even though they were all fallen, doesn't mean they don't still make a neat little pattern. There's still just as much substance to our relationship… It just has a different title, now.


	38. Chapter 37

**_Chapter Thirty-Seven_**

**_Caliegh's POV_**

Valentine's Day was never really my thing. I was always kind of disgusted at the amounts of flowers and candies guys got for their girlfriends, or seeing the couples in the hallway share little nose-nuzzles and saying, "Happy Valentine's Day, sweetie. I love you!" It was just plain annoying. I didn't mind that on other days…but for some reason, I just hated the fact that there was a holiday that singled those out who _didn't_ have a love life.

Which, like every other year, included me. Alone on one of the most romantic holidays of the year. My dream, when I was a silly middle schooler, was to have guys lining up to ask me out on Valentine's Day. Romantic, right? I would reject all of them, until the guy of my dreams would step up and confess his love for me. We would stay in a lasting relationship, and stay high school sweethearts, then marry years later.

Don't tell anyone, but I'm kind of a sucker for romance.

Our school, we had all heard, was putting on a nice formal dance for Valentine's Day. Which kind of sucks, because both me and Gabby had recently lost our boyfriends. And over the last month, everyone was frantic to get dates for the dance. Girls had all gotten permission to go buy dresses and shoes, jewelry to match.

I _was_ fairly excited for the dress, I admit. However, I didn't even have the money. I thought that maybe I could wear my dress from eighth grade (after all, I haven't grown in height since I was thirteen), but when I had tugged it out of the storage box at the top of my closet and tried it on, the top was painfully pressing my breasts so much that even ten minutes in it would cause me to pass out. I groaned to myself, shoving it back into the box. I threw on a sweatshirt and jeans and my favorite pair of lace-up boots, then trudged my way down the stairs and into the cafeteria, hoping to myself that at least someone was there to talk to.

To my relief, Gilbert and Antonio were at our table, happily chatting with each other. Maybe they could cheer me up. I plopped myself down next to Gilbert, muttering an unenthusiastic "hey". Antonio smiled airily.

"_Hola, amiga_~! You excited about the dance on Friday? I'm going to make my move on Lovi, see if we can fall in _love_." I gave him a look that clearly said, "You are an idiot," but he didn't seem to notice. Gilbert, however, did notice.

"Hey, what's wrong? You seem off." He asked, poking my shoulder repeatedly. I nodded, sighing.

"You wouldn't exactly understand, it's kind of a girl thing."

"Wouldn't understand?" He burst out laughing. "Try me, girl." I rolled my eyes, crossing my arms.

"The dance is next Friday and I still don't have anything to wear. Nor do I have a date, but whatever, that doesn't matter." I huffed, perching my chin in my palm. "And I figured since I haven't grown much in height since my last formal dance, I could just wear my old dress. But when I tried it on, I couldn't exactly _breathe_ because I actually _did_grow, but not in the way that…" I trailed off, not exactly wanting to continue, considering they were both guys.

"_Que_? But you're thin as a stick, Kay!" Gilbert kind of smirked.

"Not that way." I noticed he looked down, and let his gaze linger for a moment on my chest. …I didn't exactly mind. Woops. I mean, scientists do say that a good look for ten minutes every day could increase a man's life span by five years.

Ew.

"Point is, I don't have a dress! Even my sister already has one, she went with Gabrielle! And I can't wear any old dress, because it's a_formal_ dance!" I whined, planting my head against the table. "I don't even have money. I'm broke." I groaned. I heard Gilbert whisper something to Antonio. I rolled my head over to face him, then sat up when he grinned at me.

"We'll take you shopping, the two of us. I'll pay." I blinked, raising my eyebrows.

"Oh, no, you don't have to-!"

"It's so that you can have an opinion by the guys, you know! Girls always take each other dress shopping, but why not guys? We want a say in the matter!" Holy shit, he was serious. I paused, thinking about it for a moment.

"Well…s-sure, then…I guess."

"Awesome! We'll be at your dorm in an hour." He winked, and I felt a blush rising. I turned away, glaring down at the table.

"I'll go…get ready."

"_Hasta luego._"

"_Bis später._"

O~O~O~O~O~O

As they promised, they were at my dorm door at exactly an hour after they claimed they were taking me. In all honesty, their timing made me chuckle, because I knew it was Gilbert who had made them exactly on time. He doesn't like to admit it, but he's awfully OCD about the smallest things.

I had changed into something more presentable: a nearly-see-through, slim-fitting orange shirt with a gray tank-top underneath so that you couldn't see through the shirt, a pleated skirt that was almost way too short, and gray flats. The way I was readying myself in the mirror made me almost feel like I was going on a date. I had to remind myself that Antonio was also coming along, and it wasn't just me and Gilbert.

…Not that I thought of it as a date between me and Gilly, necessarily.

When they came knocking on my door, I was still in the process of zipping my boot, so I hopped over and stumbled against the door, pulling it open and letting out a nervous chuckle. "Hey, you two!" I brushed my hair out of my face, sliding my phone into my pocket.

"Ready to go, _chica_?" Antonio smiled pleasantly. I nodded, then stepped into the hallway, locking the door behind me.

"Alright, so I was thinking we could hit that dress shop downtown, the one that has only custom-made dresses…So you don't have the same one as another girl." I smiled back at them.

"Fine by me." Gilbert had sort of an airy smirk on his face, his hands in his pockets. I clicked my tongue, sliding my own hands in my back pockets.

"Yay! …you guys are really awesome, you know that." I pretty much expected what came out of Gilbert's mouth next.

"_Ja, _I know I am." Antonio had chuckled under his breath, just following behind us.

We took a cab into town (which Antonio had paid for, insisting that Gilbert's money was to spend on my dress, which only made _me_feel even more guilty), which dropped us off at the street where the little dress shop was. I was a little more excited than I should've been, but I couldn't help it. I had always loved formal dresses, and the idea of wearing one nearly made my heart explode with excitement. I scurried into the shop, marveling at all the dresses. They were all arranged by color, style, size, length…You name it. I immediately went to the white dresses, as I'd always admired the color. Simple, yet beautiful.

I felt a hand on my arm. "Oh, _nein_. Kay, white will wash your skin out! You're already fair as it is." Gilbert tapped my nose, then pulled me aside to view the darker colored dresses.

"Personally, I imagine a dark gold would look pretty on her, _si_?" Antonio took a dress off the rack, then held it up to me. "Never mind!" He whisked it away as fast as he held it up. I was forced to stand in awkward silence as the two jabbered over which colors would look best on me. They narrowed it down to three colors: a cerulean or even navy blue, black, and a dark rose color. Pretty soon they were searching through the racks of dresses, finding styles that would look best on me.

"You know, I can't wear long dresses…I'm too short. Just saying." I didn't even realize I was smiling softly to myself as they looked up, frowning slightly.

"Oh, you're right." Gilbert said, putting at least two dresses back. I went around to where they were to view the dresses they had so far. And I must say, both of them had rather good taste. I liked every single one of the dresses they had picked out so far. However, as soon as I had stepped over, they were shoving me away into the changing room area, handing me dress after dress to take with me.

Once I was locked away in the room, I gazed around at the dresses they had chosen. I decided to first try one of the rose-colored ones. I slid off my clothes and pulled the dress over my hips. It was sleeveless, but the top half rose over my collar bone and across my shoulders, crossing right behind my neck. It was rather pretty, I admit, but I didn't enjoy the length of it. It was all the way down past my knees, which looked a little odd. Nonetheless, I opened the door for them to see. Antonio gasped, clapping as I spun for them to get a full 360 degree look at it.

"I _love_ the color…"

"It doesn't fit her right, though. Look, it looks too big right here." Gilbert fiddled with the material dangerously close to my chest, but he was right. It wasn't as snug as it should've been.

"I'd say this is a maybe, then. I can fix it if I get it." I slipped back into the dressing room. I tried on dress after dress, but it seemed every single one had an issue with it. Whether it was too big, or the style just didn't look right on me.

After about the fifth dress, I was about ready to throw my clothes back on. But I still had several more to go. I didn't even really look at the dress I had put on until I had actually pulled it on. It was absolutely _beautiful_, my downright favorite of all the dresses so far. It was a lovely rose color. Thin black straps came over my shoulders and crossed over in the back, which was open in a "v" shape all the way down to my hips. Black ribbon laced through the opening in the back to give it a look of a corset, and tied down at the bottom in a long bow. The sash was made to look like it was a part of the ribbons, wrapping tightly around my waist just above my hips. The neckline was only a little iffy (it dove down quite far, exposing most of my breasts, but I didn't mind), but the skirt part so gorgeous. It cascaded down into three layers of the same deep blue color down to my thighs, and then a final layer of a clear mesh was added so the dress technically came down to my knees.

I stepped out of the room, expecting the usual critical feedback, but for once they were both speechless. I smiled softly, spinning slowly in a circle so they could view the back, which was my personal favorite part of the dress.

"_Mis dios_…That one looks amazing." Antonio said, shaking his head in an awestruck manner. Gilbert snapped out of it for a moment, motioning for me to come closer. I did as he said, and he turned me around. He fiddled with the ribbons in the back, making it tighter against my body with each tug.

"There we go…that's better." He stepped back to view me, eyes gazing over my whole body. "…it's really beautiful." He smiled. And shockingly, it wasn't his signature little smirk, but a genuine smile. I nodded slowly.

"This is the one. Definitely." They both nodded in unison, and I shuffled back into the dressing room to put my clothes back on. Gilbert had paid the $130 that the dress had cost, and he still insisted that I pick out shoes and jewelry from the boutique down the street. So off we went to the shop, where I did find matching jewelry and shoes for my dress. In total, Gilbert paid $237. And seriously, I owed him for that. But he had told me that it was nothing, and I didn't have to do anything, because it was his gift to me.

After we took the cab back to the Academy and Antonio had gone his own way, he even insisted on walking me back to my dorm. I couldn't help but feel like a giddy little schoolgirl as he walked me, swinging our hands together as we laughed over nothing in particular. At one point, just to prove his strength (don't ask where that conversation came up), he had picked me up and spun me in a full circle all the way down the hall. I'm pretty sure the whole hall could hear me squealing and trying to force him to put me down, but by doing so it only made him throw me across his shoulder (and at the time I forgot I was wearing that really short skirt), which only made me thrash playfully. He set me down at my door, then handed me my things after I had pushed open the door and set my things right inside.

"Wait, you." I grabbed his wrist just before he turned to leave, then stood on my tip-toes and kissed his cheek. "That's my thank you gift. …Don't expect any more where that came from." I blushed severely, crossing my arms. Gilbert only smirked.

"Awesome. I guess I can give my own, then." He leaned down and kissed _my_ cheek, which only made me blush more.

"Y-yeah…see you." I shuffled into the dorm room, covering my mouth with my hand. "What did I just do?!" I muttered.

Oh, damn it. I really shouldn't have been feeling that way…but my heart was racing at the current moment, and the blush on my face wasn't exactly going away. I had never really felt this way before…And I couldn't stop thinking about him. He wouldn't get out of my head, and I even dreamt about him several times…no. I wouldn't allow this. I stumbled onto a couch, lying face-down into the cushions. And I didn't even realize my sister was there to see it all.


	39. Chapter 38

_Chapter Thirty-Eight_

_Gabby's POV_

Ah, Valentine's Day. The holiday I haven't celebrated since elementary school, when everyone was required to bring cutesy little cards and candies for the other kids in their class. When middle school came around, and people started taking it more seriously, I suddenly treated February fourteenth as just another day. Sometimes my friends and I would exchange cards, but the older we got, the more childish that become. By high school, I was a Valentine's Scrooge.

This year, however, it was going to be so much better. Yes, the initial notion of it was extremely depressing, seeing as Al and I had _just _broken up. On the other hand, the Academy announced that there would be a formal dance to celebrate the holiday. I _loved _dances! As difficult as it was to get myself excited about dresses and shoes and accessories, I admit it's pretty nice to feel like a _girl _for once. The other Gabby (who, conveniently, prefers to go by Gabrielle) had offered to take me shopping for the occasion, and of course I accepted. It was like the eighth grade formal all over again!

A taxi took us to a mall about forty minutes away from the school. We went to some dress shop we'd found on the mall's website the other day while hanging out in the library. Not many people liked it there, since the dresses were unreasonably priced considering they almost always fell apart after one night; nevertheless, I only needed it _for _one night, so this was no problem. We looked around for at least an hour, modeling for each other and zipping one another's dresses. None of mine were particularly spectacular… except for the fourth one I tried on.

The colors were what drew me to it: a blue lighter than the sky on a spring afternoon, with a sash the color of grape juice. My sister once had told me both colors looked nice on me. It had straps so thin that it could almost be considered strapless, and flowed down past my knees (good. I hated my legs). Made of a satin-like material, it fit rather comfortably and, if I do say so myself, really complimented my figure. It was the only dress that wasn't too tight where it needed to be loose or too loose where it needed to be tight; it was perfect.

By now I figure you've deducted I'm not really the type to frequent accessorizing. That being said, when we had left all our discarded dresses on the Return hanger and grabbed the one's we decided on (Gabrielle's was strapless and a nice midnight blue color, hardly reaching her knees with a skirt made of mesh of a few shades of blue) and Gabrielle led me to the half of the store that sold accessories, I was a little lost. There were so many sets of _gorgeous _earrings, but thanks to a little childhood trauma involving a drastic ear infection, I'm permanently unable to get my freaking ears pierced. Whatever, I'd just make sure my hair covered my ears anyway. I ended up with just a diamond-studded dog collar necklace, and a few jangly black bracelets that probably didn't even match my attire.

Next was shoe shopping, in an outlet across the mall. The price was what persuaded my decision: I picked the cheapest shoes I had tried on, which were inch-high heels the same color as my bracelets. I'm sure it's pretty lame that I can't handle heels higher than maybe an inch and a half, but whatever. It's not like I wasn't gonna take the shoes off 10 minutes into the dance anyway.

Skip ahead to the night of the actual dance. You wouldn't _believe _what had happened: _my sister and I helped each other out. _First of all, we both did our self esteems some justice, 'cause when she stepped out of the bathroom and I turned away from the bed, we made brief eye contact then our jaws dropped. "Damn, Kay… You look beautiful." I didn't even have time to let my pride and jealousy take over; the words spilled out of my mouth immediately, and they were true. Gil and Toni had done a great job, guiding her toward this rose colored dress… It made her look like an adult. A very short adult.

She coughed, glancing away and brushing her recently curled hair back behind her ear. "Thanks…" She glanced back at me. "You do, too. Those colors look brilliant on you. Although," she advanced toward me, grabbing hold of the fabric that covered my chest then twisting and tugging it a bit, "you were a little crooked. There."

I twirled my finger in the air, motioning for her to spin around. "Lemme see the back…" Smiling now, Caliegh turned, and I felt my breath catch in my throat. I don't even give a shit about fashion, yet the design of her dress in the back was stunning. The way it crisscrossed. "Is that tight enough?" I asked.

Caliegh shook her head, her lovely curls bobbing with the movement. "Not really… I couldn't get it by myself."

"Well then allow me." I undid the messy bow she had made, praying I wouldn't make the whole thing worse- we were actually getting along for once. I bit my lip as I redid the bow, jokingly pulling it unnecessarily tightly at first but then tying it just where it needed to be when it came to tightness. "Hopefully that won't look like _total_ shit." Caliegh shrugged and turned around, her hands absently on her hips.

"I'm sure it looks fine… Now come on, let me straighten your hair." I grinned softly as my twin dragged me off to the bathroom and sat me down on a stool, the straightener already plugged in and heated up (we had agreed that she should straighten my hair earlier that day). I admit my hair looked rather nice straightened, but it rarely got that way because I didn't know how to do it myself. That, and I was too lazy to _learn _how. I think Caliegh and I were both pretty proud of the results, even though we both knew it wouldn't stay that way for too long thanks to the stubborn nature of my waves and curls.

Thanking my sister, I added a couple little touches to my makeup (just some mascara, lip gloss, and powder) before sliding into my heels and heading toward the door. I turned over my shoulder as I grasped the door handle, checking to see if Caliegh was following, to see her adjusting her own heels with an incredulous look on her face. "That's all you're doing to your hair?"

I scrunched my eyebrows and pursed my lips a bit. "I guess I should do _something…" _

"Here, allow me." Next thing I knew, Caliegh had gathered some of my hair- the group of strands that framed my face- and clipped them to the back of my head. I paused for a moment, my breath catching in my throat: this was exactly what I had done with my hair for my eighth grade formal, including straightening it. Yet, Caliegh hadn't been around for that. She had been in Texas with our devil mother and little half-siblings that have never even shook my hand, possibly attending a dance of her own. Funny that she knew exactly what style I thought was good for me to wear my hair in to a formal dance…. We really do share that twin connection, after all.

I smiled. "Perf." Caliegh narrowed her eyes; she's _always _hated it when I said "perf," something I had picked up off the internet, as opposed to "perfect." My grin only widened. "Thanks, Sis. Now let's get going." I offered my arm out to her, like a prince leading his lady off to the ball. Hell, neither of us had dates, and we were _twins. _I'd say we're entitled to have silly little jokingly lesbian-like moments such as this. "Shall we depart?"

She loosened up, and a hesitant smile twitched onto her face then melted naturally into her features. She linked her elbow with mine, tilting her head a bit to smile up at me. Just like old times… "We shall." And so we headed down to the auditorium, arm-in-arm, smiling and chatting and giggling.

The Bad Touch Trio was waiting for us by the entrance. They all gaped at us upon our arrival, grins lighting up their handsome faces. A chorus of "_Mein gott," "Mon dieu," _and _"Mis dios" _sounded from them, only making my and Caliegh's grins widen.

"Gabby! You look so _lindo!" _Antonio gasped, grabbing my shoulders and looking me up and down. Gilbert's eyes also glazed me over, his finger and thumb cupping his chin. He nodded his approval.

"_Ja, sehr heiß," _he agreed.

I laughed at their use of their native tongues. "I'll assume that's a compliment, so, thanks." Gilbert grinned, gave a sharp nod, and turned on his heel to look over my sister. He and Antonio gushed over her- something about how they knew they made a good decision with her dress. The three of them slipped into a conversation, leaving me alone with Francis.

Call me crazy, but the atmosphere seemed to get… _warmer _when I felt Francis's eyes observing me. Not a quick look-over to check me out, like Antonio and Gilbert had done; he was gazing with a gently curious expression, intent on taking in every detail. His excited grin had dwindled down to soft smile. _"Tu es…. très belle," _he murmured. Well, not really _murmured: _that was impossible to do over the music. I guess his calm tone made it seem like a murmur.

Feeling myself blush, I shrugged. "I guess you could say I clean up good." Francis laughed.

"Absolutely. Twirl for _moi, _I want to see you from all angles." I was reminded of the irremovable grin on my face as I held my arms out like an airplane, rotating in a slow 360. "Ah, _oui, _very nice… Not extravagant, but beautiful all the same. It suits you well." I think the blush returned to my cheeks. Was Francis intending to say that _I _wasn't extravagant, yet I was beautiful all the same? "The colors are perfect, _aussi. _I know how much you love purple," he fingered the silky fabric of the sash tied around my waist, "_et _this shade of blue is _stunning _on you. It brings out your eyes…."

My heart fluttered a bit uncontrollably for a moment as Francis pinched some of my hair between his finger and thumb, sliding down to the ends that had already begun to flip back up. "You look really good, yourself." At first, I had just said so because he had complimented _me, _but when I actually looked him over, I realized my words were true. He wore a long sleeved button-down shirt, a shade of sky blue even paler than my dress in color. The cuffs were white and buttoned over. He wore black dress pants, with a belt and shoes to match. His hair was pulled back in ponytail with a ribbon the same exact color as his shirt, the wavy strands that didn't reach the ribbon symmetrically framing his face.

I was about to make the mistake of pointing out that our outfits made Francis and I look like one of those coordinating couples when I felt a hand grab my arm my spin me around. "Dude, you lookawesome!Like a _girl!"_

"Well I'd hope I look like my gender, Al." Alfred's style was much different from Francis's: a white dress shirt with the top three or four buttons undone, a completely unbuttoned black tuxedo jacket, and black jeans (probably the only pair of pants he owned that weren't ripped). His hair was slicked with gel, and I could smell it from where I stood.

"What're you doing standing over here? Let's go party!" Al exclaimed, bouncing eagerly. I nodded my agreement.

"C'mon, guys, let's go down to the lower level," I offered, loud enough for the others to hear as well. Caliegh's smile faltered a bit.

"…I'll pass."

Should've seen that coming.

"_What?! _You can't come to a dance and not _dance!" _Gilbert insisted, his eyes wide and hands gripping Caliegh by the shoulders. She raised an eyebrow.

"Oh, but I can."

Gilbert groaned, and Antonio pouted; shrugging, I headed toward the dance floor. If my sister wanted to have a shitty time, so be it. _I, _for one, was determined to have a _great_ time. I LOVED dances. I mean, I have zero grace, so I'm completely unable to dance… But the beauty of school dances was, neither could half the attendees. I wasn't there to show off my (lack of) dancing skills: I was there to jump around, sway to the beat of songs I didn't even know, scream along to the songs I _did _know, and dance like a hooker with my friends.

…..Oh. Wait. Except for Gabrielle, all my friends here, now, were _guys. _They couldn't exactly swing their hips or let their top fall down too low. Back in eighth grade, my friends and I did stuff like that to feel like bad girls for once… Trying to pull that around a bunch of hot guy friends would be the embarrassment of a lifetime.

…or so I thought.

The place was decorated really nicely. The lights got dimmer the farther into the room you got, and spotlights beamed red and pink hearts on the ceiling while several of those electric disco balls spun rainbow lights everywhere. Streamers and hearts and flowers hung from everywhere, and every seat off to the side had a little piece of chocolate on it. As promised, Caliegh did not join us on the dance floor. Instead, she found her way to one of the unoccupied tables and sat there, tapping her foot occasionally and then chatting with Matthew when he sat beside her.

Don't get me wrong, I didn't start out as a party animal either. I just kinda bobbed along to the first two songs, both of which were some rap music that was currently popular, but didn't appeal to my tastes. However, when a song I recognized started to play, I mouthed the words (trying to sing along over the music would surely rupture my vocal chords) and started to get more into my dancing, since I knew the beat by heart. Francis picked up on this gradual change and grinned, shuffling closer to me. He had been dancing casually to everything so far, but my enthusiasm seemed to rub off on him. When he grabbed my hands, the chain of humbleness that had tethered me down to prevent humiliation snapped, and off I went. Soon enough Francis and I were doing a series of dips and twirls, me occasionally ending up in Gilbert or Antonio's arms and doing the same thing.

It only got better from there. The song selections were improving, so I started making up silly little dance moves to accompany the lyrics I recognized, and the Bad Touch Trio would sometimes catch on and do them with me. When the first unfamiliar song came on, I literally danced my way off to the sidelines to take off my heels. Like hell was I gonna dance with blisters on my feet. I trotted up the stairs toward the tables, and rested the shoes on the empty chair to Caliegh's left. "I'm gonna leave these here with you, mkay?" She may or may not have responded. Either way, I invited her to come join us on the dance floor, and when she immediately declined, I simply skipped back to my buddies.

In my haste to return to my current three favorite guys in the world, I, inevitably, bumped into someone. "Sorry about that!" I called up to the tall figure, praying it wasn't going to be some jock that would tell me off for not watching where I was going. Nonetheless, when he turned around to see what disrespectful brat had run into him, I decided I would have _preferred _the jock.

It was Mathias.

"Whoa, hey, Gab! Long time no talk!"

Yeah, whose fault is that.

I just kind of stood there awkwardly, at a loss for words. What do you say to your gay ex-boyfriend that hasn't talked to you for months? Lucky for me, Mathias cracked the silence before it turned awkward. I guess I had forgotten about that big mouth of his. "So where ya headed?"

"Over to Francis, Gilbert, and Antonio," I answered plainly, rather proud that my voice wasn't shaky. Mathias nodded twice.

There was a slight pause. "You mind if I come with? I can't find Lukas…"

Every single part of me screamed _"no." _He broke my heart, refused to rebuild our friendship… Who did he think he was?! …..a guy that wanted to have fun during his Valentine's Day formal dance, that's who. I silently took a deep breath, and forced a smile. "Sure, come party with us!"

As we made our way back to the guys, springs in our steps, the smile turned more and more genuine.

Gilbert, for one, was ecstatic to see the company I had brought, and the two of them immediately broke into some hardcore dance that only guys with self esteem as high as theirs could pull off. Alfred swaggered his way over to join them; I guess guys that drink together, dance together. …Man, I kind of missed Mathias and his wildness…. He looked really nice, in his all-black suit that got drowned out by the bright red color of his dress shirt.

Thankfully, a change of music snapped me out of it before I could start fantasizing about my ex. My gay, spoken for ex. A grin spread across my face as I recognized the catchy tune: The Cat Daddy. I don't remember going to any dances since seventh grade that didn't play this song, and I'm not complaining. I can't Jerk, and I don't know how to Dougie… But _man _can I Cat Daddy. I animatedly bobbed along to the intro, and when the lyrics started, I began the actual ridiculous dance. Mathias, Alfred, and Gilbert immediately joined me, then Antonio, the five of us dancing in perfect unison. I caught sight of Gabrielle, dancing with some of her other friends; I waved her over, and she soon joined us with a grin.

Meanwhile, Francis stood there looking as if he was watching a flock of geese perform a séance. I noticed him gaze around the room, and his expression only grew more confused. "Does _everyone _know this dance?" he inquired.

"Everyone but you, 'parently," Alfred snapped back. He paused for a moment to make an L out of his fingers on his forehead while sticking out his tongue, then immediately fell back into sync with the rest of us. I, however, shot a glare at him and stopped dancing altogether. I broke away from the circle to stand closer to Francis.

"Ignore him, he's a 5 year old in a teenage body. This song's out of style now, anyway… Here, it's really simple. See, you're supposed to be like, in a wheelchair… You buckle yourself in, then turn the wheels." I gave him a motion-by-motion demonstration: bringing both hands from one hip to the other, then spinning invisible wheels at my sides while thrusting my body forward.

"Ah, well that's simple…" A smirk crept onto Francis's face. "You make it look so _sexual."_

My face flushed. I still remember a seventh grade dance where some girl I didn't even know made fun of me for getting way into the dance….. Before I could invent a comeback, though, Francis had joined the circle and pulled me back in, and now we were a Cat Daddying group of seven. To my relief, I wasn't the only one getting rather sexual with the dance: Gilbert, too, was getting perhaps too into it. Soon enough, Francis was doing the same…. _Right up against me. _I gasped the first time he did it, feeling his body that close to mine in such a… _provocative _matter… And before I knew it, the song had transitioned into one of those dirty, obnoxiously catchy rap songs, and I was returning the movement. That's right: I ended up grinding with Francis Bonnefoy. He eventually twirled me into Antonio, and we also danced dangerously close, then the same happened with Gilbert, then Alfred, and then, as much as I shudder at the thought now, Mathias.

If people don't start calling me a whore after witnessing that, then I guess my reputation is safe forever.

Gabrielle had been whisked away by her other friends halfway through the dirty song, leaving me surrounded by guys once again. I twirled out of Mathias's arms at the start of the next track, our hands still linked. We were grinning at each other, as if we had actually succeeded in moving onto "just friends." …Was that was this was? A proposal of friendship…? Suddenly, Mathias craned his neck to see the upper level. "Ooh, there's Lukas! Gotta go." He pulled me into a one-armed hug, and said, "Text me sometime, man. You could use a gay buddy." Before I could comment, he was off, dashing over to assault his boyfriend with a surprise hug. I felt a weight I hadn't even known had been pulling me down lift from my shoulders.

"And now, ladies and gents, we're gonna slow it doooooooown," announced the DJ. Oh, splendid… Well, I suppose I could go for a drink, sit down with my sister… Actually, both ideas sounded really appealing. However, I knew the latter was out of the question when Gilbert perked up, making a beeline for the table where Caliegh sat. And I mean sat in the past tense, because she was gone. Only my shoes remained at the table. When I walked up to grab a water bottle (making sure it was unopened; God knows what people slip into drinks at gatherings like this), I noticed Gil slinking out of the auditorium. I didn't see the poor guy for a while after that.

After downing at least three quarters of my water, I started singing along to the song under my breath. _A Thousand Years _by Christina Perri… I'd always loved the song, it was just so beautiful. I was too preoccupied swaying gently in place, whispering the lyrics that I knew, to notice Al approaching me. So, I jumped out of my skin when he tapped my arm. "Hey bro… You wanna dance?"

It felt as if a fist had reached up from the pit of my stomach, clenched my heart, and dragged it down at least a few inches. Didn't he realize that this was a _slow song? _About _eternal love? _That the only people currently dancing were _couples? _I took a deep, shaky breath. "Alfred… We're not dating anymore," I reminded him as gently as possible while still being heard. A sad sort of smile that looked like it was meant to be bright appeared on Alfred's face.

"Well yeah, I know, but I was thinking we could just dance as friends."

How the hell do you _slow dance _as _friends?! _Wasn't everyone that was dancing-? …oh. A quick glance around showed that although most people swaying to the song together were in fact in a relationship, I noticed some others closer to the sidelines. Francis and Antonio, for example, were making a big show of doing some slowed down version of the tango. And then, when the Belgian girl I'd seen in the halls and at lunch approached Antonio and asked to dance for real, Francis flagged down dear ol' Mattie and wrapped his arms around his waist. Wow, those two actually would make a cute couple…!

Okay, gotta focus on the task at hand. I gave a slight nod to my head, walking back toward the dance floor, but Alfred grabbed my wrist before I could advance any farther. "I was thinking we could just do it here." Well, alright then. I shrugged, sliding back to Al and slowly linking my hands behind his neck. In turn, his hands wound around my waist, and we began to sway back and forth, slowly revolving in a tiny circle.

It was silent between us, though that in itself wasn't so bad. We both had tiny smiles on our faces, and would break into occasional brief giggling fits. Sometimes, I'd quietly sing or hum along to the song…. But mostly, I was looking into Alfred's face, since we were on the brightest level. His forehead revealed by his slicked back hair; his glasses so far down on his nose that his baby blue eyes were clearly visible; his lips, forming that ever-present grin of his… …those lips that I had felt against mine so many times… That had sang along to the music he played on his guitar… That had cursed at me when I beat him on Xbox… That had blabbed on and on with stuff only Alfred F. Jones truly understood… That had teased their way down my neck on a couple daring occasions…..

No. No, no, _no. _I couldn't do this, I couldn't allow those memories to resurface… Not now, not _ever… _Yet, how could I not? Our hands were touching some part of one another, our bodies were so close together… Hell, if I leaned up a little bit, I could easily kiss him. This was _wrong. _We were just friends, BEST friends, not lovers anymore… I unlinked my hands from behind his neck and stumbled backward, ripping his own hands apart. "I can't… Al, I'm sorry, I can't do this. It's… too soon," I breathed in distress. A youthful sort of pouty sadness appeared on Alfred's face.

"Aw, man… I getcha. Sorry…" I shook my head, murmuring something that might have been "It's okay," and dashed off to the seat where my heels rested. I set them on the ground and buried my face in my hands. Damn it, why did I have to be so emotional all the time?! I was supposed to be having a great time, letting loose and letting all my worries go… But since I couldn't even suck up my stupid bewildered feelings about my recent breakup, here I was sitting alone with tears in my eyes. Where was my sister when I needed her…? I don't know why, seeing how cold she usually is to me, but I just wanted her to be there, calm me down….

"Are you alright there, love?"

Well there's a voice I did not expect to here… I shot my head up only to see Arthur Kirkland standing beside me, looking rather concerned. I sat up straight and blinked hard. "Wha? Yeah, yeah, I'm… fine…" I managed a smile. "It's cool, I'm fine."

Arthur raised an eyebrow. "You don't look it…" He extended an arm and used his thumb to wipe away a tear that had escaped onto my cheek. Then, he pulled up a chair and sat next to me. "Mind telling me what's bothering you?"

I gave a dismissive shake to my head. "Nothing, really…."

"Let me guess, that idiot buffoon Alfred asked you to dance even though you _just _broke up, you felt uncomfortable because it was too soon, and you left him in the middle of the dance?"

For a moment, I just sat there blinking and gawking. "Exactly….. How did you-?"

"I grew up reading Sherlock Holmes," Arthur answered with a smile. I couldn't help but grin a little in return. He lightly brought a fist against my arm. "See, there's a smile…" The slow song finally ended, and a much peppier one came on. One that I knew. "How about you and I head down to the dance floor? Jump around a little bit… Perhaps my horrid dancing will clear your head."

I let out a sincere laugh. "You just want an excuse to rock out to One Direction, don't you."

"Ah, you can read me like a book."

The rest of the night certainly got better. Arthur's dancing truly was atrocious; it was kind of adorable. I honestly didn't expect him to show up to the dance at all…. It didn't seem like his type of thing. However, when I noticed Vasillica hanging off to the side, bobbing his head and tapping his foot to the music, I deducted that he had been talked into it. Regardless, I was sure glad he came, because he revived my good mood.

In fact, I felt alive enough that I grabbed my sister as she snuck back to the table, and forced her to come dance with me and the Bad Touch Trio (Gilly had returned, and like me, his mysteriously low spirits gradually rose up again). To my surprise yet pleasure, Caliegh actually obliged, and danced with us to the rest of the songs that weren't slow dances. Her dancing actually was really good, the talented little bitch… Her only downfall was that she was a bit shy. Anyway, when the slow songs _did _play, Caliegh and I grabbed a snack and drink then sat back down at our table, chatting away like best friends do and sisters should. It was kind of great.

Eventually, Alfred snuck back into our group of five, this time dragging Mattie with him. It was rather entertaining, trying to get the poor guy to loosen up; all of us contributed. He danced like an awkward third grader that still had imaginary friends, but hey, he danced. Also: the awkward aura surrounding Al and I had evaporated soon enough; we even collaborated to get Arthur to Gangnam Style with us.

By the end of the night, I was exhausted, hyped as all get out, my ears were ringing, and I felt dirtier than ever (the guys and I had gotten dangerously close to each other while we danced to more than just that one song). To be honest… In the back of my mind, I was disgusted with myself, too. What type of girl was I, practically getting intimate with all those guys?! At middle school and early high school dances, I had always fantasized about being in that situation, but now that it actually happened, I was mildly sickened. What a _slut…_

…But I won't let that get to me. It had been a fantastic night, I had an amazing time, and my outfit made me feel pretty for once… Every girl's gotta be entitled to whore around for at least a few moments, right?


	40. Chapter 39

**_Chapter Thirty-Nine_**

**_Caliegh's POV_**

I can honestly say that I'm not the type to dance at dances. Even though that's really all you can do at dances. So even though I had an absolutely beautiful dress and I was rather confident with how I looked that evening, I still was nervous about everything that was to happen.

After curling my hair in bouncy and loose ringlets, I wasn't exactly planning on going anywhere with my sister, or even talking to her at all. I knew she was going to be off with her friends dancing. But when I walked out, she immediately said, "Damn, Kay. You look_beautiful_." I cleared my throat and glanced away a little, then gazed at her look for tonight. I admit, I was quite iffy about her choice in the necklace, but she somehow made it work. Her dress was rather charming; a light blue color that perfectly brought out her eyes. It honestly fit her perfectly...

"Thanks," I responded to her compliment. "You do too. Those colors look brilliant on you…although," I advanced towards her, tugging at the top of her dress and adjusting it, "you were crooked. There we are." I looked up at her, smiling softly. I hated how she got to be tall, dresses had always looked so much better on her…

Gabby twirled her finger. "Now let me see the back of that dress." I did as she said, and I heard her gasp at the extravagant design of the back lacing. "Is it tight enough?" I frowned slightly, shaking my head.

"Not really…"

"Allow me." She untied the bow, jokingly tying it so tight it felt like a corset (not that I minded, I had worn them for drama productions before and I was used to it), but then she actually tied the bow tightly enough to fit my figure, but not so tight it made me gasp for air. "Hopefully that won't look like total shit." I placed my hands on my hips, shrugging.

"I'm sure it's better than what I did." I paused, looking over her once more. "Let me straighten your hair." I dragged her off to the bathroom where the straightener was already plugged in and heated up. At first I attempted to start parting her hair with her standing, but I couldn't reach and got frustrated, so I pulled a chair into the bathroom and made her sit so I could see the top of her head. I proceeded to style her bangs, pushing them over to the side so they weren't in her face for the dance.

While she was doing her makeup, I found myself lost in a field of fantasies. I kept imagining how nice this dance will be: a romantic song will come on, and me and a special someone would slow dance to it, with me leaning my head against his chest. I snapped out of it when the images of dancing with a certain German popped into my head, causing a flustered blush to cross my face.

She came out of the bathroom and I admit, I was pleased with her work on her makeup. For someone who didn't wear makeup, I mean. The only thing that relatively bothered me was that she had done nothing to her hair. "Is that all you're doing to your hair?" I muttered more to myself than her.

"Well, I guess I should do something to it…" I nodded, immediately pulling a drawer open of the bureau. I pulled out a barrette, which was one of my favorites, and pulled her hair half back into the large clip. I sprayed her whole head down with a ton of hairspray, which made her cough a little, but then stood back and admired my work.

"Perf…" She said in amazement. I narrowed my eyes slightly as her use of completely improper language, but she only responded with a grin. "Thanks, sis. Let's get going." She held her arm out to me so I could take it (good thing we were obvious twins, otherwise that would've been really lesbian of us), grin only widening. "Shall we depart?" I smiled hesitantly at first, then figured, "Why not?" and I smiled for real, linking arms with her.

"We shall." We walked arm-in-arm down to the entrance of the cafeteria, chatting and laughing like, well…sisters.

So far, the beginning of the night was going wonderfully. And it only got better when I saw my best friend waiting in the doorway with the other two members of his trio. They scurried over to us, eyes widening and mouths agape at the two of us. All three of them, at the same time softly muttered, "_Mis dios!", "Mein gott," _and_ "Mon dieu..."_ I blushed slightly, staring at my feet. They looked amazing themselves. All as hot as their reputation makes them. Antonio wore dark gray dress pants with a gorgeous wine red top, unbuttoned a little at the top to reveal his finely-toned chest. Francis, in contrast, wore a pale blue shirt with black pants.

Gilbert wore a stunning navy blue shirt (bet that bastard did that on purpose, knowing it was my favorite color) rolled up to his elbows and black dress pants as well. A chain to a necklace he wore underneath his uniform was showing through a little. In my OCD moment, I didn't even hesitate to reach up and tuck it under his collar. He grinned kinda sheepishly tugging at the collar around his neck. "It's hot, _mein gott_." I chuckled lightly.

"I used to work hot summers out in the tomato fields back in Barcelona, I'm used to it!" Antonio chimed. I giggled to myself.

"I used to live in Texas. Where the average in summers is usually around one hundred degrees Fahrenheit." Gilbert made a disgusted sort of look.

"Up where I lived, it only got around into the seventies." I shook my head in disbelief. That was way too cold for _summer_.

"Let's go down to the lower level!" My sister was practically bouncing on her heels in excitement. My smile faltered a little, shaking my head slowly.

"Ah, no, I'll pass…" Gilbert's eyes widened, grabbing me by the shoulders. Funny, how a simple touch can send sparks through my whole body,,,

"_What?! Nein,_you can't just…come to a dance and not dance!" I raised my eyebrows at him.

"Oh yes I can." I haughtily walked over to the tables immediately as Gilbert groaned at my response, sitting down and crossing my legs. To be honest, there was an odd pain clutching at my chest. I was at a Valentine's Dance, sitting completely alone at an unoccupied table in the corner by the windows. I tapped my foot half-heartedly, glancing over the crowd in attempt to find my sister. When I saw her dancing enthusiastically with Francis, I scowled in disgust and perched my chin in my hand, fiddling with a little chocolate heart candy wrapped in gold foil. Dances were definitely not my forte.

"You're not having very much fun, eh?" My spirits rose a little when Matthew's soft voice whispered in my ear over the music. I smiled weakly at him.

"I never do. In middle school I would always stand around awkwardly against the wall because we had no places to sit. So…at least we have this comfort." I shrugged. I looked over at him. He was wearing a clean white shirt with a red tie hung loosely around his neck. He had a jacket in his lap. I'm assuming he took it off because of the heat. He unwrapped a small chocolate candy and popped it in his mouth, smiling.

"I like the caramel the best." I sighed, laughing under my breath. He was only trying to raise my spirits, I couldn't blame him. I hummed under my breath; at least they played good music.

After talking for a few minutes, he decided to get up and go chat with a few of his classmates. Gabby came up behind me and set her shoes on the chair beside me, grinning like a wild idiot. "Hey you want to join us?"

"Hell no." She gave me an annoyed look, crossing her arms.

"Please?"

"No."

"Well fine." She danced away (quite literally), going back to whoring around with the guys. And I'm not exaggerating, either. When I glanced up to find her she was surrounded by a circle of guys, going back and forth between them all, grinding into them like that wasn't the most disgusting thing a girl could do. I was absolutely disgusted with her, and ashamed to call her my _sister_.

"You like, totally have a chance!" I heard a voice close to me. Sounded…Cantonese or something. "Look, she's even sitting at your table!"

"That's just a silly coincidence, she does not like me! Leave me alone, Kaoru…" Now that one sounded more familiar.

"Not until you, like, ask her to dance!" I glanced up to see what the fuss was, only to have none other than Emil Steilsson and Kaoru Wang arguing over by the refreshment table. "You haven't danced with any girl the whole time, and you like, _promised _you would." Emil sighed, throwing up his hands in annoyance.

"Fine! Geez…" Oh, shit. He was making his way over. He was making his way over to _me_. I glanced away, not wanting to seem like I was staring. I felt a tap on my shoulder and what do you know, the silver-haired beauty was staring down at me, a blush across his face. He glanced back at his Cantonese friend, who just gave him a thumbs-up. He sighed. "Want to dance?" I blinked for a moment, standing .

"Well sure, why no-"

"And now, ladies and gents, we're going to slow it down…" The DJ announced. Emil shifted uncomfortably, and we both glanced at Kaoru, who just waved and slipped off to dance with a Taiwanese girl who I've seen around.

"…damn him…" Emil muttered. I shrugged, taking his hands and putting them on my waist.

"You asked me to dance, so we're going to dance." I linked my hands around his neck, moving slightly closer to him. He was rather lovely this night….Wearing all white, which brought out his violet eyes. The only thing that relatively bothered me as we danced was that he had some resemblance to his brother. His gay brother. The Norwegian that had cheated on me with my sister's boyfriend.

As we danced, he pulled me slightly closer, lowering his hand to my lower back and pressing us together. My eyes widened at the gesture. _How passionate_, I thought to myself. The song was nearly five minutes, but we still danced close the whole time, gently swaying together. I very slowly and hesitantly leaned my head against his chest, closing my eyes halfway. I could hear his heart; nervously racing at first, then gradually getting slower and more relaxed.

The song ended sooner than I wanted. We pulled away kind of awkwardly, and with a clear of my throat I bowed my head, muttered, "Thank you," then slipped away. Now what? I glanced at the doorway, and a certain someone caught my eye. Standing out in the hall, alone, was Gilbert. He was tapping his foot to the music that was playing, but something definitely seemed off. I hesitantly walked to the doorway, just kind of crossing my arms in hopes that he'd notice me. After standing there for a bit, I cleared my throat and walked up to him, tapping his shoulder.

"Hey, Gilbert." He glanced over at me, jumping slightly. "What's up? You seem distressed."

"_Nein_, I'm fine."

"Dance with me." Wait, what did I just say? What? I felt a blush rise to my cheeks, but I smiled up at him nonetheless. He stared down at me for a moment. I pouted, taking both of his hands. "Come on, I know you can dance!" I swayed back in forth to the beat of the music, swinging our hands. A smile twitched on his face, eventually melting into his natural, soft smirk. He stood straighter, joining in with me swinging our hands.

He put one hand on my waist, taking my other in his hand. He raised his eyebrows, which only me grin and put my hand on his shoulder. He instantly spun us both around in a comical version of the Waltz. He let go of my waist, then spun me around, only for me to trip clumsily and fall into him, laughing.

"I'd say we go back in, now. I don't suppose we should be out here." I said once I had calmed myself down. He nodded in agreement, heading immediately for our group back on the dance floor. I, however, went back towards our table. I felt a hand grab my arm, and when I turned around I saw my sister with a pleading look in her eyes.

"_Please_ dance with us! Just be fun, for once, Kay…I mean it's a da-" I cut her off by holding my hand up, rolling my eyes slightly.

"Sure, Gabby." Her eyes widened, then she squealed happily, dragging me down to the lower level of the cafeteria to dance with the others. Antonio was the first to see me, and he grabbed both of my hands enthusiastically.

"_Vas a bailar? Excelente_!" He jumped up and down, and I nodded slightly, grinning up at the Spaniard. I did actually end up dancing to the songs (much to the BTT's delight; at one point I caught Francis giving an approving smirk and muttering, "How _sexual_."). I guess it just took me a while to warm up.

I remember Antonio had come behind me and took my wrists, flapping my arms like a bird. Laughing, I twirled around, spinning my hips in a manner that of some club dancer. I gave him a little smirk, raising my arms above my head and spinning again, only to be caught by Gilbert who dipped me down dramatically, then pulling me up in his arms to dance dangerously close, my back facing him, with my arms over my chest, each hand holding one his. He leaned down, swaying to the music, then muttered in my ear, "Why're you suddenly not a prude?" Flustered, I blushed severely. Feeling his hot breath down my neck….

The night proceeded with much more action than it was initially had, which was definitely more fun for all of us. When the slow songs came on, me and Gabby walked over and got ourselves snacks and drinks, going back to the table and casually chatting with each other like we used to when we were younger. The night was a success.

Even if it _was_ a Valentine's Day dance, and I was totally alone.


	41. Chapter 40

_Chapter Forty_

_Gabby's POV_

In general, Spring Break is a completely fantastic and wonderful thing. For one thing, it's the first long break students get since Winter Break, about 5 months prior. Except Spring Break is better, because instead of being cooped up inside, worrying about snowstorms and last minute Christmas shopping, you can be hitting the beaches and frolicking outside in that fantastic springtime weather. Really, the only bad part about it is that no matter what school you go to, teachers will try to cram as many grades as possible in before the break begins, so while you're trying to get hyped about the upcoming vacation, you're too busy being bombarded with tests.

However, here at World Academy, they don't let you hold a grudge for such things. About a week before the start of the break, our homeroom teachers told us they had an announcement to make. Normally, nobody would really give a damn, but from the look on his face this time, I could tell it wasn't just about a change in the lunch menu. So I turned away from my conversation with Mathias (did I mention we kind of rekindled after the dance? Just enough to communicate with each other on occasion) and listened up, and the rest of my homeroom followed suit.

"Before you kids go making your Spring Break plans, I'd just like to announce that the school will be sponsoring a field trip on the first day." To what, an art museum? Yawn. I'll go home and see my old man, thanks. "…A _paid _field trip to the local amusement park."

Now the room was bustling with conversation again. Damn, the school's budget really must be pretty damn impressive! Entrance fees for that park were $60 a person, and to pay for a _thousand _students and teachers?! Yeah, my old man could wait!

And so I bring you to today, where I stood just past the entrance gates of what was rumored to be one of the best amusement parks in the country.

"Everyone organized their groups on the way here, correct?" the principal confirmed, speaking loud enough to reach every single student crowded at the entrance. A man of his age really shouldn't be exerting himself like this, at an _amusement park… _A series of verifications flooded across the mass of students. "If you haven't already, please assemble in those groups. Orderly fashion, please. Each group will be assigned a chaperone- many groups will have to _share _a chaperone. You are to report in with this chaperone every 20 minutes, and return to them by the end of the trip. They will hand out their cell phone numbers once everyone is assembled."

We never really discussed a group beforehand; it just kinda fell into place: me, Caliegh, Francis, Gilbert, Alfred, Arthur, Vasilica, Matthew, and the Cuban guy Mattie was often seen with. Carlos, was his name. You might notice a certain Bad Touch Buddy missing from that list. Antonio had opted to hang out with the Vargas brothers, Gilbert's younger brother Ludwig, plus the Belgian girl Antonio had danced with back at the formal and her older brother. None of us were really offended by this decision; he'd have more fun with them and we knew it. He fit in better. Nonetheless, none of us could help but steal a couple glances over at the group. The first thing _I _noticed was how Feliciano was all over Ludwig, clinging to his arm and practically cuddling him. Come to think of it, they acted that way at school, too…

"Hey, Francis, what's the deal with Feli and Ludwig? Are they, y'know, an item?" I asked, leaning closer to him so I didn't have to speak too loudly. I noticed Caliegh asking Gilbert the same thing.

Francis shrugged, pursing his lips slightly. "Nobody knows for sure."

"Alright, now that everyone is split up, your chaperones will be coming around," the principal announced.

I was hoping we'd get my homeroom teacher, or Ms. Héderváry. Yet who did we have the honor of being stuck with? Dear old Mr. Edelstein. Well, at least I could have some fun with this one…. "Lookit that, Kay, you have his _number. _Now you're ready to advance to the next step in your relationship!" I exclaimed under my breath to my sister when Mr. Edelstein gave out his contact information. Caliegh brought her elbow into my stomach, hard, and I groaned at the pain. Jesus, couldn't she take a joke? Still, I could detect a faint tint of pink to her cheeks.

…though, there was one thing I probably should do. "Mr. Edelstein?" I said once the principal dismissed everyone. It's laughable, how noticeably Mr. Edelstein's demeanor falls when I approach him. "I just wanna thank you for that grade you gave me on my last exam. It, really did my grade justice."

Mr. Edelstein adjusted his glasses, not even looking at me. "_Ja, _well, you deserved it." I grinned, and returned to the conversation the rest of my group was having.

Gilbert held a map open in front of himself, and we all were gathered around it. "This has got to be the most organized park in history. Everything is clustered together: we got the kiddie rides here, the cool normal rides here, the roller coasters here, the food courts here, the arcade and games here, the water arena and a couple water rides here, with the big ol' Ferris Wheel in the back. So the question is," he looked up from the map, "where should we hit first?"

"Well definitely not the food courts, if we wanna avoid blowing chunks on all the rides," Vasilica reasoned. He had been leaning his elbow on Arthur's shoulder this name, and the Brit now coughed in disgust.

"Yes, thank you, 'Silica," he muttered, leaning away from his Romanian friend.

"He's got a point though," Alfred agreed, grinning as always. Something seemed more forced about this smile, though… Perhaps the death glare Carlos was aiming at him had something to do with it. "We should probably eat _last, _go on stuff first. I say we go on all the normal rides first, get us psyched for the coasters."

Huh, sounds like a good plan… We all agreed, and headed off in the direction of the regular rides.

That particular section was closest to the entrance, so we didn't pass much on the way, except for a cheesy little magic show setup. I didn't take much note of it; just a mustached guy in a cape guessing little kids' cards. Arthur, however, insisted we stop and observe, just for a moment. "Secret compartment," Arthur called as the magician pulled a rabbit out of his hat. The poor guy looked quite caught off-guard for a moment, but quickly regained himself and moved onto the next trick.

"He dropped the coin into his other hand," Caliegh called (not as loudly as Arthur had) when the magician pulled a coin out of a little girls' ear. Vasilica and I had to bite our tongues to keep from cracking up. This was exactly what our last Magic Club meeting had been about: disproving magicians' tricks.

It was all lots of fun, especially watching the little kids cry and the magician's face turn a flustered red color, until the magician's manager came over and told us that if we say one more thing, we'd be banned from the park. So we moved on.

The rides were fantastic, but nothing to go into detail about. A rocking ship that almost made me lose my breakfast; the classic Scrambler (I've also seen it called 'Déjà Vu' and 'The Sizzer' at other places, but it's all the same ride) in which I rammed into the side so many times, I thought I broke my hip; the merry-go-round, which Alfred, Gilbert and I went on while the others laughed from the sidelines (or looked away in embarrassment, in Caliegh and Arthur's cases); the Zipper, which I _refused _to go on, but Alfred had dragged Mattie on and both came off disheveled yet grinning; my personal favorite spaceship-like ride, the Wipeout; lots of other things that were fun enough to get a few laughs and "Let's go again!"s, but not daring enough to make us cry for our mommies. _Those _rides, we agreed, would come next.

I had always been terrified of roller coasters, until my friends introduced me to them when I was 13. From that point on, I had become a coaster junkie. I'd eagerly ride any, except for wooden roller coasters and Six Flags' infamous Kingda Ka. 16 people dead, 7 decapitated in only 2 years? _Hell _no. But otherwise, I loved roller coasters, especially ones that had loops (I much preferred those over drops; another reason Kingda Ka is a hell-no in my book).

The first six coasters we went on were great. In the ones that sat four people in a row, I always ended up sitting with Francis, Arthur, and Vasilica (Francis on one end with Arthur on the other), while the seating positions in the other ones varied. Only one had a huge drop, luckily for me, and only two of them left your feet dangling and required removing flip-flops. Thankfully, there were cubbies off to the side of each ride so Alfred, Mattie and I could leave our glasses there without a worry.

And then everything got worse.

I, personally, was ready to move onto the next thing: the arcade, we agreed on (none of us were really all that into carnival games). However, Alfred, Gilbert, and Francis had other things in mind. "Dude, we _gotta _go on the Coaster Royale!" Alfred exclaimed, pointing excitedly at the yellow coaster looming ominously a bit off to the side. It had the same design as Kingda Ka- a rip-off, people called it- except it was a few meters shorter and didn't reach as high speeds. "Hahaha, you're _funny," _I spat, shuddering at the mere thought of riding that beast.

"Come on, Gabrielle, it'll be fun!" Francis insisted as Gilbert attempted to persuade my sister.

"First off, it's _Gabby. _Second, I can't take a man in a ponytail seriously," I snapped bitterly. I didn't actually have a problem with his ponytail… It looked nice on him, and he was only trying to keep his locks out of his face. After all, his hair was only an inch shorter than my own.

He smirked softly and pulled at the ribbon that gathered his hair together, giving a slight shake to his head so that the waves all fell into their rightful place. "There. It'll be _fun."_

"I'm not going!" I persisted, my voice verging on a squeak. It seemed Caliegh didn't really get to put a word in; Gilbert had slung her over his shoulder and was swaggering off toward the line, where Alfred already stood. He was staring off toward our group the whole time, though, his gaze seemingly fixed on Mattie.

"Oh, _oui, _you are." Francis took both my hands in his and locked his eyes into mine. He lowered his voice to a gentle sort of purr. "You will be _fine, cher. _I wouldn't make you do this if I didn't have the best of intentions. _S'il vous plait? Pour moi?"_

Damn it, he used the French on me. With a huff, I silently stomped off to join the other two guys and my flailing sister. I could just _feel _Francis smirking in triumph behind me.

The line was regrettably short- we waited for less than two minutes. _All _the lines were great lengths… Either the principal had bought out the whole park, or people were real picky about amusement park weather and didn't come today because it was a bit chilly. Each compartment sat four people, so Francis, Al and I shared one while Gilbert and Caliegh got one to themselves in front of us. Despite my rapidly jittering nerves, I smiled slightly as Gilbert offered to hold Caliegh's hand only to have her smack him away. Francis did the same to me; I would have accepted the invitation if I wasn't gripping the restraints so hard that they just might be permanently glued there. I did my best to just focus on Alfred's excited chatter behind me, and the fact that it was only a 35 second long ride.

It started out slow and gentle. Yeah, way to go, ride designers. Reassure the riders before sending them to their deaths. No matter how many times I told myself _"It's going to get worse soon," _I still shrieked in horror when the ride jolted and rapidly gained speed. My least favorite part of roller coasters was always going up the slope, but this was even worse: there was no slope, it was fricking _vertical. _We were literally laying back in our seats. My eyes were watering to the point that I had to close them, and I can't honestly say it was just because of the air blowing into my face. _I was going to die._

There was a slight curve at the top, sending us sideway, and then a couple split seconds later we were going straight down. The moment we descended, I screamed bloody murder. Don't get me wrong, it's not unusual for me to make a lot of noise on roller coasters. However, it's usually laughter, "WOO!"s, and over exaggerated screams to alarm the first-timers waiting in line. But this time, it was out of sheer terror. _I don't like drops._ But this ride was ONLY a drop. I was making myself go deaf with my screaming, we were going to crash face-first into the ground any moment, if I didn't fall out of the seat first-!

Then suddenly, it was over.

"See, wasn't that _exhilarating, _Gabrielle? …You can open your eyes now," Francis said over Alfred's ecstatic woops.

"Fuck you," I breathed, shaking horribly. My entire body was numb, and I don't think I could open my eyes if I tried. I never dropped the f-bomb on my friends, but… This was serious. I don't think I'd ever experienced true fear until then.

Alfred's enthusiastic feedback faded out, and then I felt two pairs of hands helping me out of the seat. I can't say I wasn't grateful: I couldn't feel my legs, and needed to hold onto both guys in order to move. Was this what it felt like to be paralyzed by fear? I managed to peel my eyes open once we exited, but everything was blurry. I could feel the dry tears on my cheeks.

"_Désolé, _I didn't think you would-"

"I-I think I'm gonna…." I didn't even bother to finish my own sentence. I staggered over to the conveniently placed trash can outside the exit, and threw up. Keep in mind I've _never _thrown up after a roller coaster, even ones that made me so nauseas I could barely stand. I heard Alfred murmur something about overreacting, then from his "OW!" I assume Francis had hit him. I just stood there for a moment, still shaking and starting to cry again out of embarrassment (I mean, I was standing here spitting in a trashcan because a stupid roller coaster scared me shitless). I felt Francis brush my hair away from my face, slipping the strands back into my messy ponytail, then he gently rubbed my back. "Would you like to head to the arcade now?" he whispered. I gave a tiny nod and straightened myself up. Francis offered me his hand with a soothing smile; I gave him a timid smile in return, and wrapped my fingers around his.

I didn't dare look up from the ground as we walked to the game section. Alfred, my best friend, probably thought of me as some huge dork; my sister… Oh, I _especially _couldn't look at her. She hated me enough as it was, I couldn't even imagine what she must be thinking of me now. As you can imagine, my amazing mood turned really sour.

It seemed we weren't the only group from our school there at the arcade; a bunch of Asians I recognized from the hallways were here, too. I didn't pay them much mind, though; I didn't pay _anyone _much mind. I wasn't really big on arcade games, and certainly didn't feel like playing them right now. I was in a ticking-time-bomb type mood, where so much as missing on a claw machine would cause me to break down. I just needed to cool off… So I stood off to the side, arms crossed and eyes staring down at my sneakers.

"Not much of a fan of arcades, are you?"I looked up to see Arthur had joined me, leaning against the wall beside me.

"I guess not, not really," I answered quietly.

"Mm, I don't frequent them either. Though when I do, people say I get a little _too _into it." He smiled at me, and I attempted to grin back. "What's bothering you, love?"

"Oh, nothing much… I just had a bit of a freak-out on the Coaster Royale," I responded, lifting my gaze to meet his.

His smile only softened. "Well at least you had the guts to go on it, even if it took some persuasion. Vasilica wanted to ride as well… I planted myself in the ground and threw a fit worthy of a little girl that didn't get her favorite dolly." The image of sophisticated, gentlemanly Arthur Kirkland throwing a temper tantrum was enough to make me grin for real. "Now, how about you and I try out that 'Dance Dance Revolution' game over there? Seems like an interesting way to unwind…"

I stepped away from the wall, feeling my good mood trickle back to where it was. I loved DDR, even if I wasn't all that good at it. We slid our change into the slot and pressed _Start, _selecting a beginner's level One Direction song (Arthur insisted he chose it because he knew _I _liked them). I won by a landslide, having finally regained my composure. "I couldn't concentrate, the music was just so _awful," _Arthur reasoned, trying to glare at me but unable to prevent smiling.

"Yeah, sure. Just accept defeat, Artie, _and _your inner Directioner." I poked his nose and turned to hop off the platform… only to be met with a mess of purple fur in my face. "What the hell-?!"

The fur pulled away, and Alfred was standing in its place, grinning childishly. He held a purple stuffed kitten with impossibly big eyes in his arms. "I gotcha somethin'!" He held the toy out again, this time _not _in my face.

"Aw, you didn't have to…" I took the outstretched stuffed animal nonetheless; it was just too adorable. "You only did this 'cause you feel _bad _for me."

"Well yeah, you blew chunks into a trashcan after a ride _I _suggested you go on!" Arthur and I both shuddered at his word choice. I'm just glad Arthur didn't comment on it. "It took me five quarters to win that little sucker, so I hope you like it."

I laughed, shifting the kitten to the crook of my elbow so I could give Al a big hug. "I _love _it. Thank you."

_"Excusez-moi, _but last time I checked, you two were broken up," muttered Francis, who had been walking by at the moment. His hair had been pulled into a ponytail again.

Alfred turned to him, raising an eyebrow. "Uh, yeah, we are," he said, like he was stating the obvious.

"Then I would _think _you wouldn't put so much effort into winning her a cute little _gift,_" Francis practically growled. Yeesh… I'd never seen this side of him, and I wasn't liking it.

"Ya wanna know what _I _think, Peppy le Pew? I think that _you're _just-"

"Whoa, whoa, what the hell, guys! Chill…." I interrupted, standing between my two friends. "Fran, he's not trying to get back together with me or anything. I used to go down to the shore with my friends all the time, and we would go to the claw machine and win each other things. It's no biggee!"

Poor Francis's face flushed, and his expression went from murder to discomfiture. He coughed briefly into his fist, jolting his gaze off to the side. "We should go to the food courts, now."

After leaving my breakfast in the trashcan outside of Coaster Royale (disgusting, I know), I was feeling pretty empty. It seemed crappy-yet-satisfying amusement park food was _just _what I needed to fully pick me back up. Alfred and I both got burgers and I shared a plate of funnel cake with Francis, then everyone got ice cream afterwards. I had been too busy devouring mine to notice how badly it was dripping, so Francis leaned over and licked at what was trickling down the cone. I smacked him away, flustered, but still finished the thing.

Once everyone was all cleaned up and we had left the food court area, we received a mass text from Mr. Edelstein saying we had time to go on _one _more ride. "Ooh, let's check out the Haunted Mansion! Vasilica suggested."

"That seems so _stupid," _Arthur responded with a roll to his eyes. Nevertheless, he went along with it, and Alfred eagerly followed (dragging Matthew and Carlos with him). I, however, opted for the Ferris Wheel.

"No way, I am _not _going on that thing," Caliegh decided immediately.

"You went on the _Coaster Royale, _but you won't go on a silly little Ferris Wheel?" Gilbert confirmed incredulously.

"I don't like that it rocks…!" was Caliegh's weak defense. She has no right to judge me for freaking out after the Coaster Royale.

_"I'll _go on the Ferris Wheel with you, _cher," _Francis indicated.

I noticed the _smallest _hint of a smirk appear on Gilbert's face. "You guys go ahead, Kay _und _I will find something else." Francis and I looked at each other, shrugged, and went off to the Ferris Wheel. Glancing over my shoulder, I noticed that Caliegh and Gilbert were already going to their destination. Where were those rascals headed off to _alone_? …not that I was in any place to talk, I was _alone _with Francis on the Ferris Wheel: the setting for some of my most romantic fantasies.

We got there just in time to get on immediately. Once the wheel began to turn, I leaned slightly over the edge of my seat to watch the ground gradually shrink beneath me. A grin widened across my face when the ride came to a halt while our cart was at the tippy top. Now I gazed around in a full 360.I loved Ferris Wheels solely because you can usually see the whole park from the top. This particular wheel, which was bigger than a majority of the ones I had ridden previously, was positioned at the very back of the park so that this was possible. I could see the bright colors of the mini kid section; the area where all the roller coasters were, starting from the lame indoor ones to the damn Coaster Royale; the restaurants; the water park way off in the distance; the cluster of assorted rides; the shops… "Wow, the view up here is _beautiful,_" I breathed.

"Mm, I'm looking at a pretty beautiful sight, _aussi." _My face flushed when I glanced up at Francis and realized that he was gazing directly at me. I coughed and returned to staring around the park, murmuring: "Thanks, Romeo."

Francis laughed lightly. "…are you feeling better now?"

I glanced at him, nodding before returning to observing the park. "Yeah… I don't know why I reacted that way, I never have before…"

"You were only scared, _amour. _It was pretty intense, I shouldn't have pressured you into it. I feel horrible, putting such a sweet girl through something so traumatizing…" He reached over and took my hand, gingerly pressing his lips against its back without breaking eye contact. I could feel my face flush, and he chuckled lightly. "_Tu rougis, _Gabrielle~"

That only made my blush intensify. "How many times do I gotta tell you, call me _Gabby!" _I huffed, crossing my arms and glaring at him.

"I am entitled to call you whatever I want," Francis argued, resting the hand he had taken mine with on his knee. He was smirking teasingly, but in a split second it had softened into a gentle smile. "And I would _like _to call you my girlfriend."

Whoa, hold the phone. _WHAT?!_

My heart dropped to the pit of my stomach, its beat coming to a halt. My eyes darted around nervously; I noticed the ride operator arguing with someone that tried to get on. We'd be up here for a while. My brain functions slowed down, so I just sat there, totally unresponsive. Francis reached over and held my hand in his once more, smiling patiently. "_S'il vous plait, _Gabrielle. Gabby. Go out with me.

The unbelievably loving gaze he aimed my way only further tarnished the operation of my vocal chords. My thoughts, though, started coming in less sluggishly, and I fully acknowledged what was happening, as unrealistic as it seemed. Francis Bonnefoy was sitting here, asking me out. I gave a small nod to my head, a smile twitching onto my face. "Yeah," I finally managed. "Yes, I'll go out with you… Francis…"

Francis's face lit up with relief. "Oh, _merci dieu."_

The wheel started to turn again.

I opened my mouth, nervously attempting to spark our first conversation as a couple, when I was interrupted by a My Chemical Romance song blaring from my pocket. Smiling apologetically, I slid out my phone to answer whatever cretin was calling in the middle of this important event; it was Mr. Edelstein. I selected the green "Answer" button and hastily told him we were on the Ferris Wheel before hitting "End Call."

"Ooh, 20 seconds into our relationship and you already have other men calling you… I don't know if I can handle this," Francis sighed dramatically. I smiled, nudging his foot with my own.

"Don't worry, Rode_dick _Edelstein isn't any competition. Unless it's Kay's boyfriend in question…"

Francis laughed- I never noticed how much I loved his laugh- and the next time the Ferris Wheel stopped, he swiftly switched over to my half of the booth and wrapped his arm around me. The wheel went around a couple more times, my head rested on Francis's shoulder all the while. My heart fluttered in my chest with our close proximity. I was breathing in his scent with every inhale; even pulled back in its ponytail, I could detect the hint of shampoo in his hair, and he smelled of rose cologne.

The ride ended all too soon. Francis opened the door for me and motioned me out, then took my hand upon our exit. The majority of our group had gathered at the foot of the Ferris Wheel, and my sister and Gilbert soon joined us. Exhausted at this point, I found myself leaning into Francis, his arm snaking around my waist. This earned a nice wolf-whistle from Gilbert. "Well aren't you two getting _comfortable."_

_"Oui, _well, we _are _dating now," Francis told him. My eyes widened, as if I was unaware of that fact. I guess it was still hard to believe…

A grin stretched across Gilbert's face. "She said yes? Awesome, took ya long enough to ask her."

Caliegh remained her creepy expressionless self, with no comment. I really wonder what the hell she was thinking…


	42. Chapter 41

**_Chapter Forty-One_**

**_Caliegh's POV_**

Ah, Spring Break. My favorite school holiday. We all got to go home for a week and do absolutely nothing for only the reason that the weather was getting warmer. It really was pointless, but I wasn't complaining.

Around a week before the holiday, Antonio and I were having a conversation in Spanish during homeroom. Ms. Héderváry stood up from her chair, clearing her throat, peering around at us with a smile across her face. She clasped her hands together. "As you know, Spring Break is drawing near. But what we hesitated to tell you is that this year, we'll be taking a pre-paid school trip on the first day. So before you make plans to leave on the day, it may be wise to clear your schedule for the first day of Spring Break and instead start making groups." He grinned, coming around and handing out pieces of paper to each of us with information for the trip on it. And to be honest, I was expecting maybe a museum or historical garden or something, but no. We were going to an _amusement park._ Which was damn expensive when you took sixty dollars, multiplied it by like, a thousand students, plus the teachers. Just shows you how prestigious this school really is.

The week went by quickly. That morning of the trip we were all woken at six thirty in the morning by our annoying alarm clocks yelling at us to get up and get ready. Once we got there, we were told to get our groups together. Our group kinda shifted together automatically. Me, my sister, Francis, Gilbert, Alfred, Arthur, Vasilica, Matthew, and the ever-despised Cuban guy Matthew was always with when he wasn't with us. I think his name was Carlos or something, but I didn't like him. At all. And neither did Alfred, I could tell when Matthew had dragged him over to our group. Antonio had gone off with a different group consisting of Lovino, Feliciano, Ludwig, the Belgian girl he danced with at the dance last month, plus the girl's older brother (who looked like he was stoned or something, to be honest). He looked happier with this group than he would be with ours, so I didn't complain or even think twice about it.

…But I was curious about Feliciano and Ludwig. Feliciano was constantly hanging off Ludwig's arm, snuggling into him. He was very clingy, and the German didn't seem to mind. "Gilbert," I whispered, nudging him in the arm. After all, Ludwig _was_ his little brother. "What's going on between Feli and your brother? Are they a couple or something?" Gilbert shrugged, smirking slightly and sliding his hands into the pockets of his shorts (I don't know how he was wearing _shorts_, spring here is like Texas in the fall; I was wearing pants and my school blazer).

"Even _I_ don't know the answer to that one, and I'm his _bruder_. I feel offe-" He was cut off by the elderly principal clearing his throat and speaking loudly to us.

"Alright, now that everyone is split up, your chaperones will be coming around." Honestly, I was expecting to have our homeroom teachers or something be our chaperones, but most of the chaperones weren't homeroom teachers anyway. Most of them were teachers of either extracurricular activities or selected classes. Luckily, we had gotten the honor of having Mr. Edelstein as our chaperone. He gave us all his phone number and we gave him ours so that he could contact us whenever while we were split up around the park.

"Lookit that, Kay. You have his number! Now you're ready to advance to the next step in your relationship!" Gabby said with mock enthusiasm under her breath. I rolled my eyes, jabbing my elbow into her stomach, though a hint of pink crossed my cheeks. She knew I didn't like him like that; he was my teacher, and six years older…

"Ew, now I have to type that old man's name in my phone…nah." Gilbert was grinning to himself. I leaned over to see what he was actually typing, only to see he put Mr. Edelstein in his contacts as "Mr. Aristocrat". I sighed, smacking his arm lightly.

"You are a moron, my gosh." He shook his head, unfolding the map and clearing his throat loudly and overdramatically.

"This has got to be the most organized park in history, _mein gott_." I stood on my tip-toes and looked over his arm to view the map as well. "Everything is clustered together. We got the kiddie rides here, the cool normal rides here, the roller coasters here, the food courts here, the arcade and games here, the water arena and a couple water rides here, with the big old Ferris Wheel in the back...So the question is, where should we hit first?" He looked up from the map, glancing around at all of us for our opinion.

"Well definitely not the food courts, if we wanna avoid blowing chunks on all the rides," I gagged as Vasilica said this, muttering, "Thanks," under my breath. Arthur leaned away from him and uttered something I didn't catch. Alfred said we should all eat last and go on all the rides first. Obviously. He insisted on going on normal rides first so we could be hyped up for the roller coasters later. I didn't exactly know what he meant by "normal rides", but I guess it meant things like little spinny rides or something.

As we were walking, we passed a man in front of a crowd of young children all gathered around a magician with a cheesy fake moustache and cape. Which only made me chuckle; he was _not_ doing real magic. I glanced over at Arthur and Vasilica, who gave each other looks as if to say, "Seriously?"

"Secret compartment," Arthur had stopped and called out to the man. He paused while pulling a poor rabbit out of the tall hat, a flustered and angry blush crossing his face. Vasilica snickered to himself. I walked over beside them; maybe I'd join in on this fun.

"The coin was between his fingers," I said when he pulled a coin out of a child's ear, not quite as loudly as Arthur had. Vasilica and Gabby both looked close to just bursting out into laughter any moment. Arthur and I both gave each other small smirks; last Magic Club we had discussed all these fake magic tricks (even though they're fun, I still do them to this day). The disapproving looks from all the parents were hilarious, and only made us want to call out more, but decided we'd be better off when the magician's manager had come over and threatened to kick us out of the park.

I figured out what Alfred had meant by "normal rides". They were all simple things such as the classic Scrambler (which hurts really bad when you're riding with a rambunctious albino who wants to purposefully slam you around as much as physically possible), the swings, Teacups (Alfred teased Arthur about it forever), and of course, the merry-go-round. Gilbert, Alfred, and Gabby all went on that; the others laughed hysterically as Alfred and Gabby yelled, "Let's ride the cock!" Which, to their disappointment, was taken. Arthur and I had walked away to hide our embarrassment of knowing them. They were all silly little carnival rides, but still fun nonetheless. I was actually the one to drag Matthew and Gilbert onto the Round-Up. Alfred came along, but Gabby and Arthur absolutely refused, so they stayed off to the side with the others.

After we went on all of those, we all decided to hit the ever-so-waited roller coasters. I was a total coaster junkie, so any roller coaster made me hyped up and eager to get going. But no one really expected such enthusiasm from me, so maybe that was why I got some odd looks when I practically led the group to every single coaster. On every one that Carlos wasn't going on, Alfred and I both made it our personal goal to drag Matthew on with us. Now there was something we both shared in common; our hatred for Carlos. So we both watched over the two to make sure nothing funny was happening. During the rides that seated four, me and Alfred insisted Mattie sat on the end.

"We _have_ to keep those two separated." I muttered under my breath to him while we were in line. He nodded slowly, eyes widening at the shock of me talking to him. And using "we" in a sentence referring to me and him.

"They can be as close as the same row, nothing more." He nodded once again as he said this, shooting a slight glare at Carlos. We both gave each other a look, then he gave me a high-five down low so no one would see our plan.

"Hey, _Matthew_, why don't you come with us in _this_ row?" I grabbed him by the wrist, dragging him over to our row. Carlos attempted to follow, but Alfred got between us and held his hand out in front like a police officer.

"Ahem, this row requires authorization that you are in fact allowed to be seated with my brother. And," he looked him up and down, "you don't have that." He forced a grin. Carlos scowled at him, pushing past him and taking Matthew back from me.

"I don't need his ex-girlfriend dragging him around like a his mother," He spat at me, which only pissed me off. I opened my mouth to say more, but Arthur noticed that Alfred and I were both causing a ruckus, he clamped his hand over my mouth and dragged me back, pulling Alfred with us.

"Now calm down, you two. Do you want to get thrown out? I expected better behavior from you, Caliegh." He scolded us both like we were five. And honestly, we were kinda acting that way. So that was the end of that mission. From that point on we had to watch as Matthew's precious, innocent mind was tainted by Carlos's demonic, persuasive words. We could see it happening, right in front of our very eyes. He was going to the dark side, poor Mattie.

After a few roller coasters that made us all dizzy and hyped up, I expected us to go to the arcade or something to chill out. Maybe even lunch.

Yeah, no.

"Dude, we _gotta_ go on Coaster Royale!" I froze in place, glancing off in the direction that he was pointing. My eyes widened gradually, taking in the sight of the tall, horrifying roller coaster looming off in the distance. I shuddered, shaking my head.

"Gilbert, how high is that?" He grinned proudly.

"One hundred, twenty eight meters high with speeds up to two hundred kilometers per hour." He tweaked my ear. "And since it seats three a row, we get ours all to _ourselves_." I shook my head.

"I'm not going on that."

"_Ja, _you are." He smiled, then picked me up and threw me over his shoulder. I shrieked, kicking at him.

"What the hell, let me go!"

"_Nein_!" He practically sang, wrapping his arms around my waist tighter. I pounded my hands weakly on his back, kicking my legs.

"Don't make me, damn you!" He smacked my thighs, which only made a squeak leave my mouth.

"Shut up, you're going on." I groaned, crossing my arms when he set me down.

"Bastard," I muttered under my breath as we stood in the line. He only grinned, shoving me ahead when the line moved. Unfortunately, the line was _really_ short, and moving fast. Apparently the ride took less than a minute to get through. Which only made the fear growing in my chest ten times worse. When we were all strapped in, I'm pretty sure my heart was racing five million miles an hour, but that's probably just an exaggeration. Knowing my sister, she was probably going to pass out or something…Especially after seeing the sign at the front that claimed that the train may not travel fully up the hill.

"Want me to hold your hand?" Gilbert reached his hand out to me, but I smacked it away, rolling my eyes. The ride jerked to a start, which only made my eyes widen in a panic. I glanced over at Gilbert, who was grinning like an idiot and shouting back and forth to Alfred over how fun this was going to be. Francis was comforting Gabby, but she probably wasn't listening. I kicked my feet, forgetting that they were secured tightly against the seat kind of like they do on the Superman at Six Flags. The ride suddenly jerked us backwards against our seats, and it shot us up the vertical hill. Okay, no thank you. This was haunting. I could literally look straight up into the sky and find shapes in the clouds (which, by the way, was exactly what Gilbert was doing, the moron). Before we knew it, the slope had stopped and we were suddenly at the top of the ride. I glanced over at the sight we could have for approximately a second, and my heart stopped. Did I mention I was mildly afraid of heights?

And then there was the drop. It sent my soul right out of my body, I'm sure, and I was so horrified that I didn't make a sound the entire way down. It was over within just a few seconds. Alfred and Gilbert were shouting enthusiastically over how fun the ride was, while I could hear Francis apologizing over and over to Gabby; I, however, started laughing as soon as the ride stopped. My heart was racing, but it wasn't actually as scary as I expected. It was a rushing thrill, is what it was. Gilbert offered his hand to me so I could stand, and I gave him a grin as he pulled me out.

"That was horrifying and if you ever take me on this again, I'm shooting you." I said through my laughter.

"Aw, there's my lovely Kay!" I glanced over to Gabby, who was stumbling down the exit ramp with the help of Francis and Alfred. My laughter sort of died. My poor sister…We walked after them; I couldn't help my worry and concern. Unfortunately, she had thrown up outside the exit.

"She's just overreacting." Alfred muttered. Okay, too far. I kicked him in the ankle right as Francis had smacked his arm, causing a loud, "OW!" from him. Francis had to rub her back and whisper comforting nothingness in her ear for her to calm down. She was really quiet the whole way back to the others. I couldn't necessarily blame her, though. When we got to the arcade, she immediately disappeared off to the side. I was delighted to see that Yao was there as well. I slinked over to his side, peering into the claw machine he was playing with.

"What're you trying to win?" He jumped, unaware of my presence.

"Caliegh…! Oh…" He pouted, frustrated. "I want the Hello Kitty plushy that's right there, aru. But I can't get it!" I put my hands on the glass, eyes widening.

"It's so cute…! You _need_ to get it!" I handed him a few quarters. "Here, have some more money. You will get that if it's the last thing you do." I nodded curtly. After a few tries from the both of us, we finally gave up.

"We'll _never_ get it, aru!" He exclaimed, letting an exasperated sigh out.

"Excuse, me, but…Are you having problems?" I looked up to see who was speaking; he had a really heavy accent. "I could help you win that." Ah, it was Kiku. Yao's eyes lit up and he grabbed him by the shoulders. Kiku flinched at the touch.

"Could you, Kiku?! I'll love you _forever_, aru!"

"Uh, h-hai…I'll help." And so there he was at the claw machine, skillfully maneuvering the claw and grabbing the Hello Kitty, pulling it to the drop-box, where it fell through the hole. Yao was grinning to himself, already reaching in and grabbing it, hugging the doll to his chest.

"_Xie xie_ very much, Kiku!" Kiku bowed his head, shuffling back to some other people. I grinned as Yao childishly cuddled the plushy. "I guess I have to go, aru. I'll see you." Yao waved to me, rushing after Kiku, and I waved my fingers at him. I knew I could find at least some of my group members by heading in whichever way the One Direction music was coming from.

Of course, I never made it there. On my way there, I felt a strong pair of arms wrap around my waist and another pair of hands cover my mouth. I rolled my eyes. Gilbert and Vasilica had both captured me, pulling me off behind a row of games. "Shh, I just sent Francis off to your sister to ask her out." Gilbert whispered.

"Wouldn't want to interrupt that!" Vasilica said as-a-matter-of-factly. My eyes widened as I pulled Vasilica's hands off my mouth, peering around the games. But I knew it was going to go wrong, because when Francis had swaggered over to where she and Arthur were playing Dance Dance Revolution, Alfred had jumped in first, holding out a purple stuffed animal for Gabby to take.

"Guys, I don't thi-" Gilbert yanked me back. It wasn't going to go well, and it didn't. From our eavesdropping place, we could hear an argument break out between Alfred and Francis. I gave the two guys a look of panic. Gilbert looked irritated, while Vasilica had a look on his face that could only be explained as, "Oh shit." All three of us looked around the corner to see Gabby was separating the two, telling them off.

"Looks like that didn't go well." Vasilica said.

"Thanks, obvious." I uttered, chuckling slightly.

O~O~O~O~O~O

After the arcade, we all went to the food court. Unfortunately, the majority of it was disgusting amusement park food that was making me sick to even _smell_. My sister forced me to get a bottle of water and fries, though; she was afraid I would die if I didn't eat. I ate them slowly, not really hungry in the first place. Because of this, the guys thought it would be okay to share the basket amongst each other. First it was Gilbert who had stolen one (but really it was like we were already sharing them), then Vasilica stole a few just to toss at Arthur, then Alfred so that he could put them on his hamburger (gag). I kept a good eye on Matthew and Carlos, who were both sitting at a separate table eating ice cream together and exchanging jokes.

As it was getting close to four (that really was a late lunch), we all got a mass message from Mr. Edelstein saying we all had time for one more ride. "Let's go to the Haunted Mansion!" Vasilica was practically bouncing on his heels. Arthur crossed his arms.

"That seems so stupid." Even so, he agreed. Alfred eagerly went with, being sure to drag Matthew and Carlos along.

"Let's go on the Ferris wheel!" Gabby exclaimed, pointing to it. I shook my head quickly, pulling my blazer closer to my body.

"I am _not_ going on that thing." I quickly responded. Gilbert raised an eyebrow.

"You went on the _Coaster Royale, _but you won't go on a silly little Ferris wheel?" He asked in disbelief. I furrowed my eyebrows together, slipping my hands into my pockets.

"I don't like that it rocks when it stops…" I reasoned. "You could fall or something, I don't wanna, a-and…yeah." I muttered.

"I'll go with you on the Ferris wheel, _cher_." _Cher_? When had they gotten close enough for Francis to ca- Oh, yeah. He _was_ trying to make a move. Gilbert smirked, slightly nudging me in the shoulder.

"You guys go ahead, Kay andI will find something else." Oh, no. What was he planning to do with me? Francis and Gabby shrugged, heading off towards the Ferris wheel. Well, now we were alone. I reached over to Gilbert and pulled the neatly-folded map out of his pocket, looking around for something interesting. "Oh, _nein_. No need." He pulled the map out of my hands and folded it up again, slipping into my back pocket (that little shit).

"I hope you know where you're going," I mumbled. Gilbert flapped his hand.

"Psh, I totally know." He smiled down at me. As long as it wasn't anything like Coaster Royale, I was fine with any place he took me.

Take that back.

Because I was gazing up at a huge sign that said, "Tunnel of Love". With huge cheesy hearts all around the place.

"What the actual fu-" He grabbed my wrist tightly and dragged me through the entrance.

"I've always wanted to go on one of these things. We can just make fun of all the couples who are making out and having quickies in the boats!" For some reason I didn't believe this was why he brought me here. The line wasn't long at all; there were a few couples from school, which instantly made me regret coming with Gilbert. Being seen on this meant that people would assume that we were a couple. My happy mood was slowly decreasing; seriously, what was going on?

However, as soon as our funny little boat started floating down the river, a soft melodic song started playing through the speakers that were placed in the boat. I tilted my head slightly, a soft smile twitching at the corner of my mouth. This was definitely familiar.

"I've heard Mr. Edelstein play this before, when I was hanging after class." I sighed happily, perching my elbow up on the side of the boat. Gilbert groaned slightly.

"Can you please not."

"Hm?" Well that was certainly a change of attitude.

"Can we please just have a good time and, not talk about _Mr. Edelstein_?"

"Well what's wrong with him?"

"Everything, just…" We both went quiet; the only sound in the place the soft piano music ringing through the tunnel. My phone started ringing, interrupting the silence. It was Mr. Edelstein. I slowly picked up, telling him that we were going to be there after the ride we were on. When he asked what ride and how long it would be, I hesitated for a moment, a heated blush crossing my face. I didn't want to tell him the truth, that was embarrassing, so I simply told him we had gone on the Ferris wheel.

When we got off, it was way too quiet than it should've been for the two of us. Arguing would've made me feel better. Luckily, when we caught up to Gabby and Francis (who were walking very close, with Gabby snuggling against Francis's arm), he was already himself again. Looks like Francis's plan worked, and he had romantically asked her out on the Ferris wheel. The group had all gathered once again. I noticed Francis's arm made its way around Gabby's waist, earning a wolf-whistle from Gilbert.

"Well aren't you two getting _comfortable_."

"_Oui, _well we are dating now." He gave a smile, kissing the top of Gabby's head. Gilbert grinned.

"She said yes? Awesome. It took you long enough." Honestly, I can't say I wasn't expecting this. Yet at the same time, I knew it wasn't going to go well. I slid my hands into my blazer's pockets, gazing over at the two. I couldn't help but feel a little jealous of her. Why did _she_ get the most gorgeous man in the entire school as her _boyfriend_? I knew they were close, but not that close. Maybe I could ask like, Vasilica out or something. He was pretty adorable, yeah…

On the way back to the school, I almost fell asleep on the bus. Luckily, we had practically tour buses which were nice, because the seats could lay back. I was sore from gripping the restraints of roller coasters, walking around, and dehydrated and hungry from my lack of food while we were there. Nonetheless, it was still a nice day…despite the little bad things here and there.

"_Hola_, Kay, did you have fun?" Antonio was seated behind me with Lovino. I nodded, smiling back at him.

"Did you have a romantic fling with Lovino?" I smirked over at the Italian, who only gave me a hesitant smile (I knew it was because he had some moral that he had to be kind to all of the ladies). Antonio pouted.

"No, he wouldn't let me. But we had fun! Right, Anly?" He called across the aisle.

"Yes we did!" The Belgian girl responded happily. Ah, so that was her name.

The whole ride back was loud, but I tuned it out by slipping my headphones in. I'm pretty sure I _did_ fall asleep after that…


	43. Chapter 42

_Chapter Forty-Two_

_Gabby's POV_

Two months passed, and our indescribable first year at World Academy seemed to come to an untimely close. No way had an entire year already passed… Probably the most eventful year in my life, at that. I had been reunited with my forlorn twin sister, gone through more relationships than I had in my entire lifetime, made so many lifelong friends, faced so many academic challenges… I was going to miss all this over the summer… The school, the students, even Mr. Edelstein. I didn't want to go back home.

Not only that, but Francis and I were somehow miraculously still going strong. We both heard the whispers as word of our relationship got out; people saying we wouldn't last… To be honest, I sometimes contributed to those whispers. I was nearly certain I had ruined it myself by absently kissing him good-night after being together for just a week, as if it was the most natural thing in the world, even though my and Francis Bonnefoy's lips had never locked before. Yet my worries were proven fruitless when Francis just smiled and pecked my lips in return, wishing me a _bonne nuit._

And now here we were, nearing our two-month anniversary, still together.

"You live in north Jersey, don't you?" I confirmed as Francis helped me drag my luggage down from the dorms. I remembered Francis telling me about his family's long-awaited move from France five years ago, but how he had recently had a falling out with his parents and moved himself all the way from New Hampshire to New Jersey. "That's only about an hour away from my place, maybe we could hang out sometime…! Meet halfway…"

Francis smiled softly, setting one of my suitcases by the curb. He cupped my face with his hand, first tucking my hair behind my ear then gently caressing along my jaw line, finally pressing his palm against my cheek. I leaned into his touch. "Even if I still lived in France, I would do everything I could to come see your beautiful face, in person, over the summer," he murmured affectionately. I made a pathetic sort of whimpering sound, pecking his lips before burying my face in his chest and hugging him as tightly as possible.

"I'm going to miss you…"

One of his hands wound around my waist, pulling our bodies together, while the other slipped through my hair, playing with the locks. "_Moi, aussi. _But I'll find my way down there, _je promets. _I couldn't possibly stay away from _mon petit ange _for an entire summer…"

I aimed a sad smile at his face- his perfect, lovely face- and once again brought our lips together, longer this time. I had fallen speechless, so we just stood there gazing at each other until I noticed a familiar black pickup truck pull around the school. "Shit, that's my ride…. Thank you, for carrying my bags out," I forced out of my mouth, tears jumping into my eyes. I glanced away from Francis to stare up at the school; the academy I'd come to love as my own home. I heard the truck pulling into park beside me. I'd already said good-bye to everyone, now I just had to climb in and… leave…

Wait. No. I was forgetting someone.

"Where's- Kay! Come here, I gotta go!" I spotted my sister hugging Gilbert tightly and waved her over. She reluctantly peeled herself away from him to shuffle over to me, and I immediately set my bags down so I could open my arms for a hug. And for once… She didn't hesitate to hug me in return, planting her face against my shoulder.

I squeezed her tightly, heartbeat increasing. This was my twin sister… My fellow victim of a fake marriage full of lies and hatred; the girl ripped away from me far too soon. The girl that had once understood me like no other, that could make me laugh when nobody else could and that knew all my secrets… She had changed. Drastically. I think we both had. Yet… That inseparable sisterly bond was still there. Even if we didn't get each other, at all, we still _had _each other. I was sure of this as we stood there in each other's arms, both on the verge of tears. "I love you," I breathed. Six years… It had been six years, since I told her that…

The surprises just kept on coming. "I love you, too," she murmured. I planted a kiss against her forehead- heat of the moment, I guess- and we hesitantly peeled apart, eyes locking. I hardly acknowledged the sound of a truck door opening then shutting, or that someone had begun picking my bags up off the curb. I did, however, take note of my favorite voice saying: "_Permettez-moi, Monsieur _Bibus."

_Oh God, Francis, don't… _I glanced over my shoulder to see my father staring at Francis, who had picked up two of the bags he had carried out himself. "Who're you?" Dad mumbled. Well, he didn't _purposely _mumble, that's just how he talks.

"Francis Bonnefoy, sir. Gabrielle's significant other," he indicated with a charming smile. Wow, he was brave… My dad continued to just stare at him, probably thinking "What the _hell?" _Better intervene before things got bad. I slipped away from Caliegh, grabbing a couple of my bags.

"Dad, this is Francis. He's my boyfriend," I told him, tossing the bags into the truck's backseat. Francis nodded, offering his hand after setting the bags he was holding next to the ones I had put away; my dad gave it a single, awkward shake before retrieving the last of my luggage.

"Whoa, Gabby! You're leaving?" I turned at the sound of the Romanian-accented voice. "I don't care that we already said good-bye, I'm saying it again. _Rămas bun!" _Vasilica then enveloped me in a tight hug, flashing a toothy grin that I couldn't help but return. As I hugged him back, I noticed Arthur hanging slightly off to the side. My smile softened, and when Vasilica let go I immediately wrapped my arms around Arthur.

"No more Magic Club, eh?" I said, taking a step back after he released me from our brief hug.

"Not until next year, no… …it's been fun."

"It has… Bye, Artie."

He smiled sadly, gripping my shoulder. "Goodbye, Gabby. Keep in touch?" I nodded, and before I could say anything else, I was being pulled into a bone crushing hug by I-don't-even-know-who.

"Think you can just sneak off without saying good-bye to your awesome future in-law?" Ah. Gilbert. I grinned, hugging him back then messing up his platinum hair.

"I _said _good-bye!" I exclaimed, crossing my arms.

"_Ja, _this morning! Too long ago." He placed his hands on his hips. "We're going to get together this summer. You, your sister, me, Francis, _und-"_

"Me!" Antonio finished, grinning brightly. His expression softened, and he ruffled my hair. _"Adios, chica."_

"See you, Toni." We hugged, and then I reluctantly found my way back to my waiting father.

"Call me when you get home?" offered Francis, who was still standing patiently by the truck with Caliegh. …oh, my god. Caliegh was standing there alone with Francis and _our dad. _I wonder what I had missed….

I nodded, letting Francis bring me into his arms. "I will… I'll miss you, Fran."

"I'll miss you more." Identical, tiny smiles appeared on our faces and suddenly we were kissing, holding each other close and positioning our mouths just right. My dad coughed; I couldn't tell if it was intentional or not, but regardless, Francis and I pulled away blushing. I pecked his lips one last time, gave Caliegh a final squeeze, and waved to all my friends that had gathered before climbing into the truck. I rolled down the window in order to stick my head out and wave some more until the school was nothing but a speck looming in the distance. I'd wanted to say good-bye to Gabrielle again, but I didn't know where she'd gone… Oh well. We would text.

A quiet, awkward car ride followed, and I had expected no less. It started out with conversation, at least: "That was your boyfriend?"

I smiled absently at the mere mention of him. "Uh huh. Ain't he _handsome?"_

My dad just made a "hn" sort of noise. "Said 'is name was Francis… I thought you were dating some guy named uh, Matt somethin' or other."

For a moment, I just stared at him. "…Mathias? Dad, we broke up _months _ago."

"Thanks for the update." That would have sounded sarcastic, if my dad was capable of speaking not-monotone. I tuned the radio to my favorite station, and it was silent from that point on. At least, until…

"Joey's home." We'd gone so long without talking that hearing my dad's voice literally made me jump. At least he chose to talk to me during commercials, as opposed to in the middle of one of my favorite songs, as he usually did. ….hold on, did he-?

"Wait, what?"

"Joey's home," he repeated. "Back from college."

….oh my god!

I left all my things (except for my iPod, phone, and laptop) in the truck once we pulled up the long farm driveway; I'd get it all later. For now, I just wanted to trudge inside, see how much the place had changed, call Francis, then take a long nap. But first…..

I knew what my dad had said was true when the first thing I heard stepping out of the truck was the barking of a pitbull: my brother's most trusted companion. She tugged on her chain and wagged her tail so fiercely her entire body shook, then proceeded to coat every visible inch of my skin in slobber. I rubbed and patted and pet her all over, giving her a big hug before unclipping that awful chain from her leash. If there was one thing I hated that my brother and father did, it was that they left her on that stupid thing all the time… She danced around my ankles as I walked up the porch, swinging open the kitchen door.

…there he was. Red hair cropped short, tattoos on his forearm and back of his neck, dirty tank top and ripped jeans, a horrible farmer's tan, grabbing a root beer out of the fridge. One of my favorite people in the world… I just couldn't help myself. I dashed right over there, nearly tripping over the dog, and hugged him from behind. "Hiya, Brother Dear."

Only mildly caught off-guard, Joey glanced over his shoulder and wrapped one arm around me (he was never one for hugs). "Hey, Gab. Long time no see. How was it at your schmancy prick school?"

I did my best to summarize my year at the academy, neglecting to mention anything about Caliegh: he never liked her. When I told him about Mr. Edelstein, his response was "Sounds like a faggot," and all he had to say about Gabrielle was, "Is she hot?" Every time I talked about a boyfriend, he asked "Didja have sex with 'im?" to which I would blush and insist I hadn't, then he would say "Good, boys are gross/stupid."

"And what about _you? _What was college like?" I asked, content that I had told him plenty. He shrugged, popping open his root beer bottle.

"It was a'ight. Only white kid on the block, parties weren't all that great." And that was all he had to say. Things like that just remind me that he is in fact his father's son…

"How're you and Priscilla? Still together?" Last time I had talked to my brother, he and his girlfriend that I already looked up to as an older sister had been fighting; I never got the chance to see if they had smoothed things over.

"Oh, yeah, yeah. Broke up for a little bit, got to date a few more bitches. But they was all dumb sluts, I missed my 'Scilla."

I squealed at that; I loved Joey and Priscilla together, even if she was way out of his league. "So when're you two gonna get me some cute little nieces and nephews?" Joey just shook his head and ruffled my hair, taking another swig of root beer. I smiled to myself as he returned to watching Nascar without a word, pretending I didn't know I missed him a thousand times more than he missed me.

I'm glad to say how often Francis and I managed to keep in touch. We texted all day, every day, went on Skype as often as possible, and called to say good-night every night. Then one day, about two weeks into summer, he called in the middle of the day. I stared at my phone in surprise for the first couple lines of my ringtone, then quickly answered it. "_Allô, ma cherie~_ You live near the Garden State Motel, _oui?_" came his cheery, heavily accented voice.

"Uh… Yeah, why?" I answered, taken aback quite a bit by this sudden call.

_"Excellente. _Drive down there, _d'accord?"_

"Sure…? But, why?" Before I received a response, the phone had cut out. The hell? "Dad? Wanna drive me down to the Garden State Motel real quick? A friend wants me to meet them there… I think…" That possibility made my heart leap. Getting to see Francis, today… But I was only in sweats and my hair was barely brushed, shouldn't I clean up a bit-? Ah, he wouldn't care… Probably… I decided to dab on a bit of mascara, spritz myself with some perfume ,and pull my hair into as high a ponytail as it could go before hopping into the pickup truck.

Sure enough, about 10 minutes later when we arrived at the motel, there he was, standing in the parking lot with his hands in his pockets and a huge grin on his face. I squealed as I threw myself into his arms, burying my face in his chest. Ah, I had no idea how much I missed that scent of rose cologne… He hugged me tightly and kissed my forehead, then leaned down to kiss my lips. I could feel my dad staring us down from the truck, and didn't do anything more until he reluctantly pulled away. Then I gave Francis a _longer _kiss. "What are you _doing _here?!"

"I told you I would visit, did I not?" He winked at me and slid my hand off his shoulder, planting a kiss on it. "I paid to be here a week, I was hoping for longer, _mais…"_

I shook my head quickly, pecking his lips again. He had eaten crepes for breakfast; I could still taste it. "Every second with you is better than none."

"Aww, you're sweet," Francis purred, running a hand up my side. "So while I'm around, how about we go on a little date? Catch a movie, I heard there's a good new horror film playing…"

My face lit up. "Sure, I'd love to! When?"

"Let me check movie times and I will get _right _back to you," Francis responded, whipping out his phone and opening the internet.

A thought crossed my mind, then. "This'll be our first official date, won't it?" It was true, once I thought about it. Don't get me wrong, Francis and I hung out alone _plenty _of times in our two months together, but we had never officially gone out. Every time we tried to make plans, either one of us had a project due or a major test the next day that we had procrastinated working on or studying for, the location in question was too crowded, or anywhere we wanted to go was closed by the time we got around to going. So aside from snogging in the halls, studying in the library, and hanging in each other's dorms, we had never managed to really go on a _date._

"Hm, you're right…. _Et _according to this, we should be on that date in an hour."

I nodded. "Sounds good… The theatre is about forty minutes away, so if I stop home first and then we go, we should get there in time to buy something to eat and still make it in time for the previews," I deducted out loud. I paused. "…can you drive me home?"

Francis chuckled. _"Oui, _of course. We can head out right now, I'm perfectly ready." Of course he was. It was like Francis Bonnefoy woke up every morning perfectly groomed and ready to melt every girl's heart.

And so we hopped in Francis's secondhand car, and I showed him the way to the farm. "I'll be real quick," I promised as he followed me through the door, and I meant it: I didn't tend to take ridiculously long getting ready as most girls did. "Dad, I'm gonna go to the movies," I called as I trotted up the stairs. When I received no response, I figured he was out in the fields. Well good, he couldn't tell me I couldn't go if he wasn't around to know I was going.

Due to the echoing acoustics of the stairwell, I could easily overhear the conversation that suddenly occurred downstairs as I splashed my face with water, applied a better dose of mascara plus some blush and lip gloss, ran a brush through my hair a few times, applied more perfume, and stripped out of my sweats and replaced them with a skirt and layered tank top. "The hell're you?" came my brother's naturally loud voice.

"Francis Bonnefoy… Are you Gabrielle's _frère?"_

"Y'mean brother? Yeh… Francis. Ain't you 'er boyfriend?"

"That I am." I could just _hear _the prideful grin in Francis's voice.

Joey's tone turned to the aggressive one he reserved for when he was uncharacteristically serious. "Listen here, my baby sister's still just a baby. She don't know what she's doing. You break her little heart, and I'ma find you, and I _will _kill you. Got it, queer?"

"…yes, sir," was Francis's feeble reply. So Joey was the type of brother to intimidate the hell out of his sister's boyfriends, huh? …how sweet… I guess he figured that since our old man was too spineless to do it, _somebody _had to. I grinned slightly as I slipped into my sandals.

"Did you hear me? We're going to the movies," I told Joey as I hopped over to Francis, who was trying to regain his composure off to the side while my brother messed around with his dog.

"A'ight, but don't have too much fun. They'll kick ya out. Don't ask how I know that." I just grinned and linked my arm in Francis's, trying not to laugh at his horrorstruck demeanor when Joey motioned "I'm watching you" at him.

"I see you have a protective _grand frère…" _Francis murmured as he let me in the car.

"Apparently so. Normally he doesn't seem to really give a damn about me…"

Francis half smiled, turning the key in the ignition. "Well at least he found _some _way to show he cares, as terrifying as that may have been." I grinned at him, leaning over to kiss his cheek.

We decided it would be cheapest to eat at the theatre, as opposed to finding a restaurant afterwards. So, along with popcorn and two boxes of candy, we both got an order of mini hot dogs (I'm not usually a hot dog person, but I _love _the ones at the movies). My estimate had been spot-on: by the time we found our seats (at the very very top, upon my insistence), the previews were just starting to role. We provided our commentary as to which upcoming movies looked good and which ones looked stupid, while I pointed out some of the hottest actors and Francis jokingly agreed with how gorgeous they were. I tried to restrain myself from eating anything- didn't want to finish it all before the movie even started- but of course by the time the lights went down and the movie began, we had devoured almost half the popcorn and I was down a quarter of my water and one hot dog.

I don't know why I continue to allow myself to watch horror films. I always tell myself I can handle it, then I'll have nightmares for a week and have to leave every light in the house on. Yet, seeing one with a date was… relieving. In fact, most of the time we weren't even watching the movie. It started with Francis doing that cheesy fake-yawn move, then we spent the majority of the film popping popcorn and candy into each other's mouths, stealing sips of each other's beverages, and trying to find each other's tonsils if you know what I mean. More than once, I felt Francis's hand slip onto my knee while we were lost in our passionate kissing. It felt awkward the first time, but then I didn't think anything of it.

Usually, when we _were _paying attention, we'd be unfortunate enough to look up during the scariest parts. I would gasp and bury my face in his shoulder, images of the deformed creature that jumped at the screen flashing in my mind as Francis pulled me close and nuzzled his nose into my hair. Every time I peeked back at the screen, he would murmur something about how adorable I was, we'd kiss a little more, than revert our attention back to the movie for the time being.

At one point, when we had taken a longish break from kissing in order to eat our hot dogs, the movie started to take a turn for the tragic. A sick little boy's dog had been killed by that monster that I'd be seeing in my nightmares tonight (I had nearly thrown up my popcorn at that very gruesome scene), and his parents had to tell him. The next day, the kid died. I couldn't help it: tears started to roll down my cheeks. Francis, who I could see was actually rather watery-eyed himself, used his thumb to brush away the tears leaking from my one eye while kissing down the trail gliding down my other cheek. Smiling weakly, I turned to face him, and soon enough our lips were locked once more.

During this particular make out session, I could feel a fiery sensation building up in the pit of my stomach. I had felt like this before, while kissing Mathias and Alfred, but in both instances it had been… weak. Easy to overlook. Now, it was practically screaming at my attention, begging me to do _something, _but what-? ….oh, my god. Was this what… _lust _felt like? Was Francis making me- ew. God, no, I was _not _going to use that word. I was only 16…! Then again, with teenage hormones and all, I suppose it was more than natural to feel that way…

I peeled away from Francis, taking a bite of my last hot dog and taking a long sip of water. He didn't comment on my sudden protest; just leaned his head on mine as if he expected me to pull away exactly when I did, and was totally okay with that. The movie ended (on a cliffhanger) 10 minutes later.

"What would you like to do now, _cherie? _Go somewhere else… Go home… Come back to the motel…"

"Let's go back to the motel for a bit," I answered without even thinking about it. Why-? I guess I just wanted to spend more time with Francis, yet I wasn't really in the mood to _do _anything.

Francis nodded in agreement, wrapping his arm around my waist then proceeding to open the car door for me. He let me pick the radio station, so the entire car ride consisted of my singing with the occasional comment from or duet with Francis.

"And here we are, my home for the next seven days," Francis announced upon turning his key in the door to his motel room. I'd seen much dingier places, but this motel was _certainly _not the best. I'd have to make sure he was out of this craphole as often as possible… "Have a seat, _ma cherie." _He sat on the bed and patted the space beside him; I sat.

"…so where were we?" I admit, I mildly regretted ending our little snog-fest back at the theatre, even if a voice in my head kept insisting it was for the best. Francis smirked lightly and delicately brushed a few loose strands of hair behind my ear, leaning in for a kiss. I scooted a little closer and positioned my head better. …he was being so gentle, this time around, as if he was going to hurt me… Why? Well, I guess I couldn't complain. It felt nice.

The series of ginger little kisses went on for who knows how long, our hands gliding over one another's hair, waists, and arms. I don't know who started it, but one of us kissed a little rougher than before, setting a new pace: not exactly a feisty one, but just enough to ignite that dirty little flame I had felt during the movie. I tangled my fingers into his blonde locks as I felt his tongue glide across where my lips met. If he was attempting to French me, I wouldn't know, because I was too frightened to grant him access and he never did it again.

His hands had wound around my waist for about the third time, only now, it seemed like he was fiddling with the hem of my shirt. I wasn't sure, though, and I was content with not finding out. However, I suddenly felt one hand disappear under the fabric of my shirt, tracing over my spine and making me shiver. It felt, nice, so I didn't protest as he stroked my back up and down and in circles… until his fingers stopped at the hook on my bra, and started to undo it.

I gasped and pulled my chapping lips off of his, pressing my hands against his chest and instinctively pushing him away. "Francis, what the hell-?"

Francis blinked a few times, then smiled apologetically. "_Désolé, _I was getting carried away…" He pressed a kiss to my forehead, not a trace of anger on his face. My eyes widened. He was completely content with me turning him away from sex; totally understood that I wasn't ready to go that far.

"…sorry… I just, I'm not ready," I whispered. Francis gave a slight nod to his head.

_"Oui, je sais. _I suppose that just seemed a better way of asking instead of suddenly pulling away and saying, 'Would you like to have sex right now?'"

I laughed weakly. "Yeah, yeah, that woulda been bad… …thank you."

A sincere, sweet smile appeared on his face. "_L'amour _is not something that should be forced on others. If you want to wait, that's alright, and if you don't want me to be the first one to take you to that level, _je comprends."_

A jumbled mess of emotions darted around inside of me. "I… I don't know what to say…" I told him honestly. So I just grabbed his face and kissed him, picking up where we left off. I allowed him to lean me down against the bed… but we kept our clothes on, and only touched skin that wasn't revealed already.

"I love you… Francis…" The words spilled out of my mouth breathlessly, before I even realized it. I froze; never in our two months together had I told him that… I was too much of a coward to say those three words myself, and I guess Francis took that to mean he shouldn't say it either. He stared down at me, blue eyes widened, hair dangling around his face and almost touching mine.

"…_quoi?" _Maybe he didn't hear me; I _did _kind of mumble it, after all. Should I cover up my moment of confusion and just say "never mind…."?

"…I love you," I repeated after a deep breath. Francis's eyes widened even further, confirming that he had heard correctly the first time. Instead of diving back in to kiss me some more, he sat up on his legs and pulled me up with him, hugging me close.

"_Je t'aime aussi, _Gabrielle," he insisted, stroking my hair and hiding his face in my shoulder. _"…je t'aime aussi…" _he breathed more to himself than me. Dazed, I slowly hugged him back, and when he looked up at me… All I could see in his face was an overwhelming amount of relief and affection.

…yes. I did love him. And for whatever reason, he certainly loved me too.


End file.
